Prelims Pinpointer 11-01-2026

Prelims Pinpointer

Parliamentary Privileges & Immunities

Core Concept

• Parliamentary privileges are special rights, freedoms and immunities.
• Available to MPs and State Legislature members.
• Aim is independent and obstruction-free functioning of legislatures.

Historical Origin

• Rooted in the Charter Act, 1833.
• Expanded under Government of India Act, 1935.

Sources

• Constitutional Sources

Article	Provision
Article 105	Freedom of speech, immunity for MPs, power to define privileges
Article 122	Courts barred from examining Parliamentary procedure
Article 194	Same privileges for State Legislatures
Article 212	Courts barred from State Legislature procedural scrutiny

 

• Other Sources

• • British Parliamentary conventions (as in 1947)
  • Statutory laws enacted by Parliament
  • Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
  • Judicial interpretations

Legal Position

• No Act of Parliament defines privileges.
• Privileges currently follow British conventions.
• Lok Sabha Privileges Committee (2008) rejected codification.

Nature of Privileges

• Available to individual members and the House.
• Co-terminus with membership.
• Cease after member leaves office.
• Individual Privileges of MPs & MLAs

Right	Source
Freedom of speech in legislature	Article 105(1)
Immunity for speech and votes	Article 105(2)
Protection for authorised publications	Article 105(2)
Courts barred from procedural inquiry	Article 122(1)
Freedom from civil arrest during session + 40 days before & after	Section 135A, CPC 1908

 

• Collective Privileges

• • Power to publish and restrict parliamentary reports
  • 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) allows press reporting except secret sittings
  • Power to hold secret sittings
  • Authority to make internal rules
  • Power to punish for breach or contempt
  • Right to information on member arrest or detention
  • Power to summon witnesses and demand records
  • Judicial immunity for proceedings
  • No arrest inside Parliament without Presiding Officer’s consent

Breach of Privilege

• Violation of House or Member rights
• Includes disobedience of House orders
• Includes defamatory acts against House, members, committees

Contempt of the House

• Any act obstructing legislative functioning
• Includes:
  • Defamatory publications
  • Questioning Chair’s impartiality
  • Publishing expunged proceedings

Privilege Motion Procedure

Step	Authority
Motion moved with consent	Speaker (LS) / Chairman (RS)
Committee referral	10 members (RS), 15 members (LS)
Committee role	Determines breach, submits report
House decision	Accepts or rejects report
Chairman’s power	Suo-motu reference or inquiry
Restriction	One issue per sitting, must be recent

 

Punishments

• Reprimand
• Warning
• Imprisonment (only during House session)
• Suspension
• Expulsion

Supreme Court Judgments

Case	Principle
P.V. Narasimha Rao (1998)	MPs immune if vote linked to bribe
K. Ajith (2021)	Privileges do not override criminal law
Sita Soren (2024)	Bribery not protected by Articles 105 & 194

Aditya-L1 and Solar Storm Impact

Context: ISRO scientists analysed a major solar storm of October 2024 using Aditya-L1 data, with findings on Earth’s magnetic field impact published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Mission & Source

• Aditya-L1 is India’s first solar observatory.
• Operated by Indian Space Research Organisation.
• Study published in The Astrophysical Journal (December 2024).

Space-Weather Event

• A major solar storm hit Earth in October 2024.
• Event involved massive solar plasma eruption.
• Analysis used Aditya-L1 and international mission data.

Key Observations

• Turbulent region caused the strongest effects.
• Earth’s magnetic field was strongly compressed.
• Magnetosphere was pushed unusually close to Earth.
• Geostationary satellites were briefly exposed to harsh space conditions.
• Such exposure occurs only during severe space-weather events.

Auroral & Atmospheric Effects

• Auroral-region currents intensified at high latitudes.
• This led to upper-atmosphere heating.
• Resulted in enhanced atmospheric escape.

Space Weather Definition (ISRO)

• Caused by solar transient activity.
• Includes solar plasma eruptions.
• Can affect satellites, navigation, communications, power grids.

National Improvised Explosive Device Data Management System (NIDMS)

In News: Inaugurated by the Union Home Minister at NSG Garrison, Manesar.

System Profile

• NIDMS is a secure national digital IED database platform.
• Stores IED and bomb-blast data since 1999.
• Provides single-window access to investigation agencies.

Institutional Framework

• Policy authority: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Operational host: National Security Guard (NSG).
• Technical backbone: National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC), NSG.

User Agencies

• State Police Forces.
• Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
• National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS).

Core Objective: Create “One Nation, One IED Data Repository”.

Database Features

• Pan-India IED archive since 1999.
• Two-way system: upload and retrieval of data.
• Signature-based linking of incidents.
• Parameters include location, device type, circuit, timer, explosive.

Analytics Capability

• AI-enabled pattern detection.
• Supports modus-operandi analysis.
• Enables predictive threat mapping.

Inter-Operable Systems

• Integrated with 

• • • Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS)
    • Interoperable Criminal Justice System – Phase II (ICJS-2)
    • National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS)
    •  e-Prisons
    • e-Prosecution
    • Forensics databases

• Data Standards

• • Uses uniform data formats.
  • Includes evidence tagging.
  • Ensures secure data sharing.

Zehanpora Stupa Site

Context: Kushan-period Buddhist complex excavated at Zehanpora, Baramulla.

Location

• Situated in Zehanpora village, Baramulla district, Jammu & Kashmir.
• Lies on the ancient Silk Route corridor.
• Route linked Kashmir with Gandhara (Afghanistan–Pakistan).

Chronology

• Dated to Kushan period (1st–3rd century CE).
• Kashmir was a Buddhist centre under Kanishka and Huvishka.
• Buddhism in Kashmir began under Ashoka (3rd century BCE).
• Region associated with Mahayana Buddhism.

Cultural Network

• Zehanpora was part of the Gandhara Buddhist network.
• Network connected monasteries, trade routes and learning centres.

Site Components

• Contains multiple stupas.
• Includes apsidal chaityas (prayer halls).
• Includes viharas (monk residences).
• Includes urban-type settlements.
• Spread over nearly 10 acres.

Structural Evidence

• Presence of stupa-base mounds.
• Clustered mounds indicate multiple stupas.
• Evidence of wooden super-structures.
• Shows layered construction.

Survey Methods

• Used drones.
• Used remote sensing.
• Used aerial photography.
• Used ground mapping.

Kashmir Markhor

In News: The Kashmir markhor population is estimated at 200–300 individuals, mainly confined to the Kazinag range of Jammu & Kashmir.

About the Species

• Taxonomy

• • Subspecies of markhor (Capra falconeri).
  • Classified as a wild mountain goat.

• • Endemism: Occurs in India only in Jammu & Kashmir.

• Etymology

• • • “Markhor” derived from Persian meaning “snake-killer”.

• Habitat Range

• • • Found in Pir Panjal range of Jammu & Kashmir.

• Recorded in:

• • • Kazinag National Park
    • Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Tattakuti Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Khara Gali Conservation Reserve

• Habitat Type

• • • Lives in rocky cliffs, open forests and alpine meadows.

• Physical Traits

• • Body weight up to 100 kg.
  • Male horn length up to 160 cm.
  • Has long hair for cold-climate insulation.
  • Capable of nearly vertical cliff movement.

• Diet

• • • Feeds on grasses, herbs, shrubs, leaves and twigs.

• Ecological Role

• • Serves as indicator of mountain ecosystem health.
  • Acts as prey for snow leopards, leopards and wolves.
    

Weimar Triangle

Context: India participated for the first time in the Weimar Triangle format.

About Weimar Triangle

• Basic Profile

• • A trilateral diplomatic grouping.
  • Members: France, Germany and Poland.

• Origin

• • Established in 1991.
  • Named after Weimar city, Germany.
  • First meeting held by foreign ministers.

• Purpose

• • Promotes European integration.
  • Supports political and security coordination.
  • Focused on Eastern Europe and Russia-related issues.

• Key Functions

• • Coordinates EU foreign and security policy positions.
  • Acts on Russia–Ukraine security matters.
  • Holds pre-summit consultations before EU and NATO meetings.
  • Supports trilateral cooperation in diplomacy, defence and economy.

• Historical Role

• • Supported Poland’s NATO entry (1999), Poland’s EU accession (2004).

• Geopolitical Role

• • Serves as a link between Western and Central/Eastern Europe.
  • Influences EU policy on Russia and Ukraine.

New Frog Species from Arunachal Pradesh

Discovery

• Two new frog species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Discovery led by S. D. Biju (Frogman of India).
• Genus: Leptobrachium.

Soman’s Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium somani)

• A new slender-armed frog species.
• Found at Tiwarigaon, Arunachal Pradesh.
• Named after E. Somanath (journalist).
• Body length ~55 mm.
• Colour: greyish-brown with light-grey markings.
• Eye colour: silver-grey to light-blue.
• Habitat: evergreen forests.
• Males call from stream banks.

Mechuka Slender Arm Frog (Leptobrachium mechuka)

• A new slender-armed frog species.
• Named after Mechuka town, Arunachal Pradesh.
• Body length ~60 mm.
• Habitat: evergreen forests and grasslands.
• Colour: uniform brown with reddish tinge.
• Eye colour: silvery-white.

Ratapani Tiger Reserve

Context: Newly notified Ratapani Tiger Reserve named after Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar.

Location

• Located in Raisen and Sehore districts, Madhya Pradesh.
• Lies in the Vindhya Range hills.
• Runs along the northern bank of the Narmada River.
• Kolar River forms the western boundary.

Area & Landscape

• Total area 1,271 sq km.
• Terrain includes hills, plateaus, valleys and plains.

Water Bodies

• Barna Reservoir.
• Ratapani Dam (Barrusot Lake).

Heritage Sites

• Contains Bhimbetka rock shelters.
• Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Includes Ginnourgarh Fort, POW camp, Keri Mahadeo, Ratapani Dam, Jholiyapur Dam.

Vegetation

• Forest type: dry deciduous and moist deciduous.
• Dominant tree: Teak (Tectona grandis).
• Teak covers about 55% of the area.

Wildlife

• Tiger is the apex predator.
• Tiger population ~40 individuals.
• Chinkara present (endangered).
• Other fauna: Panther, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Nilgai, Blackbuck, Chausingha, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer.