Prelims Pinpointer 06-07-2026

Asiatic Lion: UPSC Prelims Notes

Why is the Asiatic Lion in News?

• The Asiatic Lion debate has revived over establishing a second home to ensure long-term species survival.

About the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica)

• The Asiatic Lion is the only wild population of lions found outside Africa.
• It is a keystone species of dry deciduous forests and open grassy scrublands in the Saurashtra region.
• The species is slightly smaller than African lions, with males weighing 160 to 190 kg.
• A distinctive belly fold of skin differentiates Asiatic lions from African lions.
• Male lions have a shorter mane, leaving their ears clearly visible.
• They live in smaller prides, and males associate with females mainly during mating or large kills.
• Their fur colour ranges from ruddy tawny to sandy or buff grey shades.

Habitat and Distribution of the Asiatic Lion

• Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the only natural habitat of Asiatic Lions.
• Successful conservation efforts have expanded lion populations across the Greater Gir Landscape.
• The expanded range includes Amreli, Bhavnagar and Somnath districts of Gujarat.
• Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is being developed as a second home for natural lion dispersal.
• Scientists recommend a geographically separate population to reduce extinction risks from single catastrophic events.
• Kuno National Park was prepared through habitat restoration and village relocation for lion translocation.

Conservation Status of the Asiatic Lion

• The species receives Schedule I protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
• The IUCN Red List classifies the Asiatic Lion as Vulnerable.
• Project Lion, launched in 2020, promotes habitat restoration and landscape-based conservation.

Source: The Hindu

Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005: UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: Demand to Bring Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust under the RTI Act

About the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005

• The RTI Act was enacted in June 2005 and came into force in October 2005.
• The Act provides Indian citizens the right to access information held by public authorities.
• The Department of Personnel and Training coordinates implementation under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• The RTI Act replaced the earlier Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
• The Right to Information is recognised as a human right under major international human rights instruments.
• In Raj Narayan versus Uttar Pradesh Government, the Supreme Court recognised information access under Article 19.

Key Provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005

• Institutional Framework:
  • Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions oversee implementation and hear appeals.
  • Every Public Authority must appoint Central or State Public Information Officers to provide information.
• Rights of Citizens:
  • Every Indian citizen has the right to seek information from a public authority.
  • Citizens can file appeals against denial or inadequate response by Public Information Officers.
• Obligations of Public Authorities:
  • Section 4 mandates record maintenance and proactive disclosure of important information.
  • Public authorities must improve transparency by reducing the need for repeated RTI applications.
• Applicability:
  • Covers government bodies established under the Constitution, laws or government notifications.
  • Includes substantially financed government-owned bodies and eligible non-government organisations.
• Exemptions from Disclosure:
  • Section 8 exempts specified categories of information from public disclosure.
  • Second Schedule organisations, including specified intelligence and security agencies, remain exempt.
• Time Limit and Penalties:
  • Information must normally be provided within 30 days of receiving an RTI application.
  • Matters involving life or liberty require information within 48 hours.
  • The Act prescribes penalties for delayed, incorrect or incomplete information.
• Jurisdiction:
  • Lower courts cannot entertain RTI-related suits or applications.
  • Constitutional writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and High Courts remains unaffected.
• Major Amendments:
  • RTI Amendment Act, 2019 empowered the Central Government to prescribe service conditions of Information Commissioners.
  • DPDP Act 2023 amended Section 8(1)(j) to exempt personal information from disclosure.

Central Information Commission (CIC) and Public Authority under the RTI Act

• The Central Information Commission oversees implementation and hears appeals regarding information disclosure.
• State Information Commissions perform similar functions within their respective States.
• Under Section 2(h), only bodies qualifying as public authorities fall within the RTI framework.
• The Central Information Commission held the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is not a public authority.
• The present RTI debate concerns whether the Trust should fall within the Act’s accountability framework.

Source: The Hindu

Kaziranga National Park: UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: Kaziranga National Park Bids Farewell to Patrol Elephant Joymala

• Joymala, a long-serving patrol elephant of Kaziranga National Park, passed away after serving since 1992.  Joymala gained international recognition after a tiger leapt over her during patrol in 2004. The incident highlighted the courage and dedication of Kaziranga’s patrol elephants and forest personnel.

About Kaziranga National Park

• Kaziranga National Park is located between the Brahmaputra River and the Karbi Hills in Assam.
• It is the largest undisturbed representative area within the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.
• The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
• The Diffalu River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows through the national park.
• The Moradifalu River flows along the southern boundary of the national park.

Flora and Fauna of Kaziranga National Park

• The park is famous for elephant grasses mixed with small swamplands across its landscape.
• Aquatic vegetation includes water lilies, water hyacinths and lotus species.
• Kaziranga supports one-horned rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, wild buffaloes and eastern swamp deer.
  • Kaziranga protects the largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses through sustained conservation efforts.
• The park also shelters Hoolock gibbons and capped langurs in its forest habitats.
• The Gangetic River dolphin is commonly found within the park ecosystem.
• Kaziranga has the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses.

Source: The Hindu

Gaganyaan Mission: UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: ISRO Successfully Tests SOLVE for the Gaganyaan Mission

• ISRO successfully conducted the first ground test of SOLVE for upcoming Gaganyaan mission test flights.

About the Gaganyaan Mission

• Gaganyaan Mission aims to demonstrate safe human spaceflight through an indigenous crew module.
• The Crew Module carries astronauts during launch, spaceflight and sea splashdown.
• ISRO is conducting multiple tests to validate mission safety under different operational conditions.
• Recent tests include Mission MITRA and the second Integrated Air Drop Test.

SOLVE (Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments)

• SOLVE is a solid motor-based Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle developed for Gaganyaan experimental missions.
• It serves as a test platform for validating the crew module deceleration system.
• The SOLVE vehicle carries the crew module to an altitude between 10 and 17 km.
• The Crew Module separates from the vehicle before parachute deployment during test missions.
• The solid stage is derived from the PSLV Strap-on Motor with suitable modifications.
• Modifications include slow burn rate propellant and secondary injection thrust vector control.
• The ground test confirmed expected performance parameters of the SOLVE solid motor.

Crew Module Recovery System and Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT)

• A series of 10 parachutes reduces the crew module velocity before sea splashdown.
• The Integrated Air Drop Test validates the crew module deceleration system under different test conditions.
• The Crew Module recovery system ensures safe splashdown during Gaganyaan mission operations.
• SOLVE provides greater flexibility for simulating different Gaganyaan mission conditions through repeated experimental flights.

Source: The Hindu

National Pension System (NPS): UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: PFRDA Revises National Pension System (NPS) Withdrawal Rules

• The PFRDA revised National Pension System withdrawal rules to provide greater flexibility for retirement planning.

About the National Pension System (NPS)

• The National Pension System is a long-term retirement savings scheme for subscribers.
• The scheme helps build a retirement corpus through long-term contributions during working years.
• Earlier, subscribers had to invest 40% corpus into an annuity at retirement.
• The revised rules provide greater flexibility in accessing retirement savings.

New NPS Withdrawal Rules and Retirement Income Scheme (RIS)

• Revised Withdrawal Norms:
  • Subscribers can now withdraw 80% corpus as a lump sum after retirement.
  • The mandatory annuity portion has been reduced from 40% to 20% of the corpus.
• Withdrawal for Smaller Corpus:
  • Subscribers with a corpus up to ₹8 lakh can withdraw the entire accumulated amount.
  • Subscribers with a corpus between ₹8 lakh and ₹12 lakh can withdraw up to ₹6 lakh.
  • The remaining amount is routed through structured withdrawal or annuity options.
• Retirement Income Scheme (RIS):
  • The Retirement Income Scheme allows phased withdrawal from the non-annuity portion of the corpus.
  • The remaining retirement corpus continues earning market-linked returns during periodic withdrawals.
• Payout Options under RIS:
  • Systematic Lump Sum Withdrawal provides fixed payouts at monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual intervals.
  • Systematic Unit Redemption provides payouts based on redeemed units and prevailing NAV.
• Tax Implications:
  • Under the Income Tax Act, only 60% of the withdrawn corpus remains tax exempt.
  • The additional 20% withdrawal permitted under revised rules is taxable as per the applicable slab rate.

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

• The PFRDA regulates and develops the National Pension System in India.
• The Authority introduced revised withdrawal rules in December 2025.
• The PFRDA also introduced the Retirement Income Scheme for phased retirement withdrawals.
• The Authority provides a regulated pension framework with structured retirement income options.

Source: The Hindu

Synthetic Cell: UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: Scientists Develop a Synthetic Cell that Can Grow and Divide

• Scientists developed a synthetic cell capable of growth and division under laboratory conditions.

What is a Synthetic Cell?

• A synthetic cell is an artificially created cell designed to perform basic life-like functions.
• Researchers initially created the synthetic cell using a liposome made from fats.
• The cell contained the PURE System to convert DNA instructions into proteins.
• The synthetic cell contained 90,000 base pairs of DNA.

How Does a Synthetic Cell Work?

• The synthetic cell fuses with smaller feeder liposomes to obtain nutrients and lipids.
• Its DNA produces Alpha-Hemolysin, which helps capture feeder liposomes for growth.
• The cell expands after obtaining lipids and nutrients from feeder liposomes.
• The Phi29 Enzyme copies the complete genome before cell division.
• Scientists engineered a biological mechanism that enabled the cell membrane to divide naturally.
• Faster-growing mutated cells produced more offspring and became dominant within the population.

Key Components of the Synthetic Cell

• Liposome: A fat-based bubble that forms the basic structure of the synthetic cell.
• PURE System: A protein-making system that converts DNA instructions into proteins.
• Alpha-Hemolysin: A protein that captures feeder liposomes to support cell growth.
• Phi29 Enzyme: An enzyme that copies the entire genome before cell division.

Source: The Hindu

Direct Seeded Rice (DSR): UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) Gains Traction During El Niño Year

What is Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)?

• Direct Seeded Rice is a cultivation method where paddy seeds are directly sown in the main field.
• DSR eliminates the need for nursery preparation, puddling, flooding, and seedling transplantation.
• Farmers cultivate Direct Seeded Rice using machines similar to wheat sowing.
• DSR has gained farmer acceptance due to increasing water and labour shortages.

Advantages and Challenges of Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)

• Advantages
  • DSR saves around 30 to 35% water compared to the traditional transplantation method.
  • DSR reduces labour requirement by eliminating nursery raising and transplanting operations.
  • Farmers require irrigation only to maintain soil moisture instead of continuous flooding.
  • Laser land levelling improves uniform sowing and efficient water distribution.
• Challenges
  • DSR replaces standing water with chemical herbicides for effective weed management.
  • Normal paddy varieties cannot tolerate Imazethapyr herbicide, leading to crop damage.

Herbicide-Tolerant (HT) Rice Varieties for Direct Seeded Rice

• HT Rice varieties tolerate Imazethapyr herbicide used for weed control under DSR cultivation.
• IARI developed Pusa Basmati-1985 and Pusa Basmati-1979 through mutation breeding.
• These varieties contain a mutated ALS gene and are not genetically modified.
• The mutated ALS enzyme prevents Imazethapyr binding while maintaining amino acid production.
• Savannah Seeds developed FullPage Trait hybrids named Sava-134 and Sava-127 for DSR cultivation.
• Central Rice Research Institute released CR Dhan-807 and CR Dhan-812 as herbicide-tolerant rice varieties.

Source: Indian Express

Hudson River: UPSC Prelims Notes

In News: INS Sudarshini Participates in Maritime Event on the Hudson River

• INS Sudarshini participated in a maritime event on the Hudson River during U.S. Independence anniversary celebrations.

About the Hudson River

• The Hudson River is a major river located in New York State, United States.
• It flows almost entirely within New York State except for its final boundary segment.
• The river was named after Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609.
• It originates from postglacial lakes in the Adirondack Mountains near Mount Marcy.
• Lake Tear of the Clouds is regarded as the source of its main headstream.
• The Hudson River flows about 507 kilometres through eastern New York State.

Geographical Features of the Hudson River

• The river forms the boundary between New York and New Jersey for about 34 kilometres.
• The Hudson River empties into the Upper New York Bay.
• It finally drains into the Atlantic Ocean through New York Harbor.
• The lower river is a tidal estuary formed by glaciation and rising sea levels.
• The Mohawk River is the major tributary of the Hudson River.

Source: ToI