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Type: Prelims Only

  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    Gangotri Glacier System (GGS) shrinks 10% in 4 decades

    Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

    Why in the News?

    A recent IIT Indore study shows that climate change has caused a 10% shrinkage in the Gangotri Glacier System over four decades, altering snowmelt and hydrology.

    Gangotri Glacier System (GGS) shrinks 10% in 4 decades

    About Gangotri Glacier System (GGS):

    • Location: Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, in the Central Garhwal Himalayas.
    • Origin: Near the Chaukhamba massif at ~7,000 metres above sea level.
    • Size: Main trunk 30–32 km long, 2–4 km wide, with a total glacierized area of ~252 sq. km.
    • Snout: Known as Gaumukh (“cow’s mouth”), source of the Bhagirathi River, which later merges with the Alaknanda at Devprayag to form the Ganga.
    • Tributaries: Includes Chaturangi, Raktavarn, Meru, Rudugaira, Kedar, and Vasuki glaciers.
    • Type: Valley-type glacier with granite, gneiss, and schist bedrock.
    • Features: Moraines, supraglacial lakes, crevasses, and avalanche fans.
    • Debris Cover: 20–24% of the glacier area is debris-covered, affecting melting rates.

    Key Findings of the IIT Indore Study (1980–2020):

    • Flow Contribution: Snowmelt 64%, glacier melt 21%, rainfall-runoff 11%, base flow 4%.
    • Decline in Snowmelt Share: From 73% in 1980–90 to 63% in 2010–20, reflecting climate change impact.
    • Temperature Rise: Mean annual temperature increased by 0.5°C in 2001–2020 compared to 1980–2000.
    • Shift in Peak Discharge: From August to July since the 1990s due to earlier melting and reduced winter precipitation.
    • Snowmelt Rebound: During 2010–2020, colder winters (–2°C) and higher winter precipitation (262 mm) increased snow accumulation.
    [UPSC 2019] Consider the following pairs:

    Glacier: River

    1. Bandarpunch -Yamuna

    2. Bara Shigri -Chenab

    3. Milam -Mandakini

    4. Siachen -Nubra

    5. Zemu -Manas

    Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

    Options: (a) 1, 2 and 4* (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 2 and 5 (d) 3 and 5

     

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    SpaceX’s Starship completes critical test flight

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Why in the News?

    SpaceX’s Starship has completed its first fully successful test flight after a series of failures.

    SpaceX’s Starship completes critical test flight

    About SpaceX Starship:

    • Design: A two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle built to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
    • Developer: SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, with the vision of enabling interplanetary travel and colonisation.
    • Size: Nearly 120 metres tall with booster, making it the largest rocket ever built and flown. Taller than Saturn V (111 m) and India’s Qutub Minar (72.5 m).
    • Historic Test Flight: On 27 August 2025, achieved its first fully successful flight. Booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, spacecraft reached the Indian Ocean.
    • Role in NASA Missions: Critical to Artemis Program for returning humans to the Moon and later missions to Mars.
    • Long-term Goal: Make Starship fully and rapidly reusable, cutting costs and redefining space travel.

    Key Features of Starship:

    • Two-Stage Rocket System:
      • Super Heavy booster powered by 33 Raptor engines generating 74 meganewtons of thrust, nearly double NASA’s SLS and twice Saturn V.
      • Engines burn liquid oxygen and methane, enabling deep-space use and Mars resource utilisation.
      • Booster fully reusable, capable of atmospheric re-entry and recovery.
      • Six Raptor engines and four landing fins, designed for full reusability on long-duration missions.
    • Payload Capacity: Can carry up to 150 tonnes to Low-Earth Orbit and over 100 tonnes to the Moon and Mars, more than all soft-landed lunar payloads combined.
    • Cost Reduction Potential: Estimated to deliver 100 tonnes of cargo to Mars for ~$50 million, compared to NASA Shuttle’s $1.5 billion per launch with far less payload.
    [UPSC 2025] Consider the following space missions:

    I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan

    How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

    Options: (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three* (d) None

     

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  • Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

    Samudrayaan Mission

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

    Why in the News?

    Two Indian aquanauts dived over 5,000 m in the Atlantic aboard French vessel Nautile, as part of India’s Samudrayaan Mission.

    What is Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)?

    • Approved: 2021 by the Union Cabinet, with a budget of ₹4,077 crore for 5 years.
    • Aim: Explore, conserve, and sustainably use deep-ocean resources to support India’s Blue Economy.
    • Six Components:
      • Develop technologies for deep-sea mining, submersibles, and robotics.
      • Ocean climate change advisory service with observations + predictive models.
      • Deep-sea biodiversity exploration and conservation.
      • Surveys for polymetallic nodules and minerals.
      • Energy & freshwater extraction technologies from oceans.
      • Advanced Marine Station for ocean biology & engineering → to bridge research & industry.

    About Samudrayaan Mission:

    • Nature: India’s first crewed deep-sea exploration mission.
    • Objective: To send 3 humans up to 6,000 m depth into the central Indian Ocean by 2027.
    • Vehicle: Crewed submersible Matsya-6000 (fish-shaped, 2.1 m personal sphere).
      • Capacity: 3 aquanauts.
      • Endurance: 12 hours normal + 96 hours emergency life support.
      • Material: Titanium alloy sphere (80 mm thickness) to withstand ~600x atmospheric pressure.
    • Coordinating Agency: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Ministry of Earth Sciences.
    • Strategic Significance: Will place India among a select group of countries (US, Russia, China, Japan, France) with human deep-sea exploration capability.

    Progress made so far:

    • Aquanaut Training: Discussed above.
    • Matsya-6000 Development:
      • Successfully wet tested in Feb 2025.
      • Titanium alloy sphere fabrication ongoing at ISRO using electron beam welding.
      • Initial steel test sphere used for 500 m trials.
    • Technology Development:
      • Indigenous acoustic telephone built for underwater communication (works in open ocean after initial failures).
      • Life-support systems designed to maintain 20% oxygen and scrub CO₂.
    • Next Steps:
      • Human test dive at 500 m depth planned before full 6,000 m mission.
      • Full Samudrayaan launch targeted by 2027.
    [UPSC 2021] Consider the following statements:

    1.The Global Ocean Commission grants licenses for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.

    2.India has received licenses for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.

    3. ‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on the seafloor in international waters.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

     

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  • Urban Floods

    Rivers, Dams, and Headworks of Punjab

    Prelims Only | Geography | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    Why in the news?

    Floods hit Punjab villages due to heavy rain in Himachal, high dam discharges (Bhakra, Pong, Ranjit Sagar), and regulated headworks flow.

    Rivers, Dams, and Headworks of Punjab

    About the Rivers, Dams, and Headworks of Punjab:

    River Origin & Entry into Punjab Major Dam (Location & Key Facts) Headworks & Functions
    Sutlej Origin: Rakshastal Lake (Tibet); enters India at Shipki La (HP); enters Punjab at Rupnagar; joins Beas at Harike, then Chenab in Pakistan. Bhakra Dam (near Nangal, HP–Punjab border).

    One of India’s highest gravity dams; reservoir = Gobind Sagar Lake; irrigation + hydropower.

    		 Ropar: Feeds Sirhind & BML canals (Punjab + Haryana).

    Harike: Diverts Sutlej–Beas water to Rajasthan & Punjab canals.

    Hussainiwala: Feeds Bikaner & Eastern Canals (Punjab + Rajasthan).
    Beas Origin: Beas Kund (Rohtang Pass, HP); enters Punjab near Mukerian (Hoshiarpur); flows via Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar. Pong Dam (Maharana Pratap Sagar), HP (Kangra).

    Major irrigation + power dam; supplies Harike.

    		 Harike: Regulates Beas + Sutlej water; feeds Rajasthan & Punjab canals.
    Ravi Origin: Bara Banghal (Rohtang Pass, HP); enters Punjab near Pathankot; flows via Pathankot, Gurdaspur;

    Enters Pakistan and joins Chenab.

    		 Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam), Pathankot (Punjab–J&K border). Irrigation + hydropower. Madhopur: Feeds UBDC canal (Punjab).

    Madhopur–Beas Link: Transfers surplus Ravi to Beas before Pakistan.

     

    [UPSC 2021] With reference to the Indus river system, among the following four rivers, one of them joins the Indus directly:

    Options: (a) Chenab (b) Jhelum (c) Ravi (d) Sutlej*

     

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  • Monsoon Updates

    Mawsynram and Cherrapunji no longer Wettest Places in India

    Prelims Only | Geography | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    Why in the News?

    Cherrapunji and Mawsynram have recorded about 50% below normal rainfall this year.

    About the Wettest Places in India:

    • Cherrapunji (Sohra, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya) and Mawsynram (same district) are globally known as the wettest places on Earth.
    • Average annual rainfall: ~11,000–12,000 mm.
    • World record events:
      • Highest annual rainfall: Mawsynram holds the record for highest annual rainfall.
      • Heaviest rainfall: Cherrapunji recorded 2,493 mm in 48 hours (June 1995), one of the heaviest rainfalls ever documented.

    Comparative Rainfall Data (for 2025 Monsoon Season):

    • Cherrapunji (Sohra): ~3,500 mm (≈50% deficit from normal).
    • Surlabbi (Kodagu, Karnataka): ~7,300 mm (highest in India this year).
    • Tamhini (Maharashtra): 5,788 mm (June–July).
    • Trend: At least 32 stations across India received more rainfall than Cherrapunji in June–July 2025.
    • Historical Low for Sohra: 5,401 mm in 1962 → 2025 may break this record if deficit continues.

    Why Mawsynram /Cherrapunji receive such high rainfall?

    • Geographical Location: Lies on the southern slopes of the Khasi Hills, directly facing the Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon.
    • Orographic Effect: Moist monsoon winds hit the steep hills, rise rapidly, and cause heavy orographic rainfall.
    • Monsoon Duration: Receives rainfall almost continuously from June to September, with frequent cloudbursts.
    • Topography: Steep hills + valleys act as a trap for moisture-laden winds, leading to intense rainfall concentration.
    • Climatic Setting: Part of the Humid Subtropical/Monsoonal climate zone of Northeast India, with high moisture inflow.
    [UPSC 2015] Consider the following States:

    1. Arunachal Pradesh 2. Himachal Pradesh 3. Mizoram

    In which of the above States do ‘Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests’ occur?

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

     

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  • Telecom and Postal Sector – Spectrum Allocation, Call Drops, Predatory Pricing, etc

    [pib] India hosts 3GPP RAN Working Group Meetings on 6G Standardization

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Why in the News?

    The Telecommunications Standards Development Society (TSDI) of India has hosted the 3GPP Radio Access Networks (RAN1–RAN5) Working Group Meetings focusing on 6G standardization for the first time, in Bengaluru.

    About 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project):

    • Overview: Global body established in 1998 for mobile telecom standards (2G → 6G).
    • Partners: Collaboration of ARIB (Japan), ATIS (USA), CCSA (China), ETSI (Europe), TSDSI (India), TTA (South Korea), and TTC (Japan).
    • Output: Publishes technical specifications, forming the global benchmark for telecom operators, equipment makers, and regulators.
    • Focus Areas:
      1. RAN (Radio Access Network) – towers & radios connecting users to the network.
      2. Core Network – switching, routing, internet connectivity.
      3. Services & System Aspects – apps, charging, security.

    What is RAN (Radio Access Network)?

    • Definition: The wireless part of a mobile network that links user devices (phones, IoT) to the core network using radio waves.
    • Components:
      • Base Stations (Node B in 3G, eNodeB in 4G, gNodeB in 5G).
      • Antennas & radios.
      • Controllers (e.g., RNC in 3G).
    • Functions:
      • Transmits & receives radio signals.
      • Allocates spectrum.
      • Manages coverage, speed, call/data quality, and handovers.
    • Importance: Defines network performance (speed, latency, capacity).
    • 3GPP RAN Working Groups (RAN1–RAN5): Develop physical layer, radio protocols, performance testing, ensuring smooth migration from 4G → 5G → 6G.

    Back2Basics:  Evolution of Mobile Standards

    • 3G (UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System): Introduced in early 2000s; based on WCDMA; enabled video calls, MMS, and mobile internet (up to 2 Mbps).
    • 4G (LTE – Long-Term Evolution): All-IP, OFDMA-based; provided high-speed broadband (hundreds of Mbps), VoLTE, and seamless video streaming.
    • 5G (NR – New Radio): Flexible OFDM-based; delivers ultra-high speeds (Gbps), ultra-low latency, supports IoT, automation, AR/VR, and network slicing.
    • 6G (Sixth Generation – under research): Expected by ~2030; aims for terabit-class speeds, AI-native networking, holographic communication, and satellite–terrestrial integration.

     

    [UPSC 2019] With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference / differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)?

    1. LTE ‘is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G.

    2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2*

     

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    Discovery of Rare Quadruple Star System with Brown Dwarfs

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Why in the News?

    Scientists have identified UPM J1040−3551 AabBab, a rare quadruple star system with two brown dwarfs orbiting two red dwarfs.

    Discovery of Rare Quadruple Star System with Brown Dwarfs

    About UPM J1040−3551 AabBab:

    • Overview: Newly discovered quadruple star system in the Milky Way.
    • Composition: Two cold T-type brown dwarfs orbiting a pair of young red dwarf stars.
    • Uniqueness: First known system of its kind; extremely rare as brown dwarfs usually exist alone, with less than 5% chance of companions.
    • Significance: Offers new insights into the formation and evolution of low-mass stars and sub-stellar objects.

    What are Brown Dwarfs?

    • Overview: Celestial objects between stars and planets in characteristics.
    • Formation: Form like stars from collapsing gas and dust but lack sufficient mass for sustained hydrogen fusion.
    • Nickname: Often called “failed stars” due to absence of sustained nuclear fusion.
    • Mass Range: Can reach up to about 70 times the mass of Jupiter.
    • Atmosphere: Similar to gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, with molecules and water vapor clouds.
    • Detection: Very faint and cold; usually identified in multiple-star systems where brighter stars help estimate their properties.
    • Astronomical Importance: Help define the boundary between stars and planets; provide clues to conditions necessary for stellar and planetary formation.
    • Cosmological Role: Studying their abundance and distribution aids in understanding mass distribution in the universe and connections to dark matter.
    [UPSC 2024] Consider the following statements:

    Statement-I: Giant stars live much longer than dwarf stars.

    Statement-II: Compared to dwarf stars, giant stars have a greater rate of nuclear reactions.

    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    Options: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

    (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

    (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

    (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct*

     

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  • First Human Case of New World Screwworm in US

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Why in the News?

    The US authorities have reported the first human case of the flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm.

    About New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax):

    • Overview: Called “man-eater” larvae in Latin; South America and the Caribbean.
    • Larval Stage: Eggs hatch into maggots that burrow into wounds of warm-blooded animals (including humans) and feed on living flesh in a screw-like motion.
    • Life Cycle: After feeding, larvae fall to soil, pupate, and emerge as adult Blue-grey blowfly.
    • Human Infestation (Myiasis): Causes painful non-healing wounds, bleeding, foul odour, sensation of movement; may lead to sepsis or death if untreated.
    • Eradication in USA: Eliminated in 1966 using Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) by mass release of sterile males.

    Current Spread and Concerns:

    • Recent Outbreaks: Detected in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
    • Cause of Spread: Likely linked to movement of infested cattle across regions.
    • Possible Weakness in SIT: Current strain of sterilized flies may be less effective than earlier strains.
    • New Human Case: First travel-associated screwworm myiasis reported in the United States in 2025.
    • Livestock Threat: Serious danger to cattle industry; risk of animal suffering and economic loss.
    • Biosecurity Risk: Reemergence could undo decades of eradication efforts if uncontrolled.
    [UPSC 2017] Consider the following statements:

    1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue.

    2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2* (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Origins of the modern Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

    Why in the News?

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the Indian Express.

    How did the Public Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Start?

    • May 1894: Governor George Robert Canning Harris issued a circular regulating music in religious processions in Poona with a communal bias.
    • July 1894: During the palkhi procession of saints Dnyanoba & Tukaram, disturbances occurred near a dargah in Poona.
    • Newspapers (Kalpataru, Mumbai Vaibhav, Indu Prakash, Deenbandhu, Subodh Patrika) urged people to reduce participation in Moharram that year.
    • July 22, 1894: Reports indicated preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi on a larger public scale in Poona.
    • September 13, 1894: For the first time, large Ganesh idols were taken out in public processions with immersion ceremonies, modeled on the style of tabut processions.
    • Press Accounts: The Times of India and The Mahratta noted the transformation of Ganpati celebrations from private household worship to community-wide public processions.

    Role of Lokmanya Tilak:

    • Newspapers:
      • Through Kesari (Marathi) and The Mahratta (English), Lokmanya Tilak promoted Ganpati as a social and cultural festival.
    • 1894–95: Advocated that the festival be used to foster unity and collective identity.
    • September 1895 (Kesari editorial): Stated that a nation requires common laws, a common language, and a shared cultural identity.
    • Contribution:
      • Popularised Ganesh Chaturthi as a community celebration, open to all sections of society.
      • Created a platform for mass participation, bridging the gap between political movements (Congress) and ordinary people.
    • Impact: Helped transform Ganesh Chaturthi into an instrument of socio-political mobilisation, while retaining its religious character.
    [UPSC 2016] What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?

    Options: (a) Introduction of communalism into Indian politics b Lord Minto

    (b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government*

    (c) Foundation of Muslim League

    (d) Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to the elected as the President of the Indian National Congress

     

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  • ISRO Missions and Discoveries

    What is the Air Drop Test (ADT-1) conducted by ISRO?

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

    Why in the News?

    ISRO has successfully conducted IADT-1, a key milestone for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.

    What is the Air Drop Test (ADT-1) conducted by ISRO?

    About Air Drop Test (ADT-1):

    • Test Setup: A dummy crew module weighing nearly 5 tonnes was dropped from an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter at an altitude of about 3 km.
    • Purpose: To test the parachute-based deceleration system that will slow the crew module during re-entry and ensure a safe splashdown.
    • Parachute Sequence: Parachutes deployed in order — first drogue chutes, followed by three main parachutes — slowing the capsule to about 8 metres per second before landing.
    • Outcome: The touchdown matched expectations, successfully validating the design for human re-entry and landing.

    Roadmap for Gaganyaan:

    • Objective: The ultimate goal is to send Indian astronauts to low-earth orbit on a human-rated LVM3 rocket.
    • Validation Tests: A series of safety validation tests are planned before the crewed mission.
    • Crew Escape System (CES): Already tested with TV-D1 in October 2023; TV-D2 will demonstrate a more complex abort scenario.
    • First Uncrewed Mission (G1): Will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra to simulate astronaut operations.
    • Parallel Trials: Multiple air drop tests and subsystem validations, including parachute trials and life-support system checks, will continue.
    • Key Technologies: Critical systems under development include the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), the Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS), and a strengthened human-rated LVM3 rocket.
    • Timeline: The first human spaceflight (H1) is currently targeted for 2027, though delays are possible due to complexity in human-rating systems.

    Long-term Goals:

    • Foundation: Gaganyaan marks the beginning of India’s long-term human spaceflight programme.
    • Space Station: The GoI has announced the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) to be established by 2035.
    • Lunar Mission: India aims to achieve a crewed lunar landing by 2040.
    • Critical Technologies: Capabilities such as in-orbit docking, demonstrated by the SpaDeX mission in 2025, will be essential for future missions.
    [UPSC 2025] Consider the following space missions:

    I. Axiom-4 II. SpaDeX III. Gaganyaan

    How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

    Options:

    (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three* (d) None

     

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