News Context

• The BJP moved a Constitutional amendment in April 2026 to expand Lok Sabha seats to 850 and conduct a fresh delimitation, but could not secure a two-thirds majority.
• Key proposals: 850 Lok Sabha seats, seat distribution based on the 2011 Census, and one-third reservation for women.

Delimitation: Key Facts for Prelims

• Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha constituencies and reallocating seats among states.
• Articles 81 and 82 mandate a fresh delimitation after data from the first Census after 2026 (i.e., the 2027 Census) is published.
• No Constitutional amendment is required for fresh delimitation — it is automatically triggered after Census data publication.
• Women’s reservation (one-third of seats) can be rolled out only along with delimitation.
• Maximum Lok Sabha seats permitted by the Constitution is 550.
• Current seat distribution is based on the 1971 Census population.

Historical Delimitation Exercises: Key Facts

• The last Delimitation Commission was set up on July 12, 2002 after the 2001 Census.
• Its recommendations were implemented in 2008, and the 2009 Lok Sabha elections used the newly drawn constituencies.
• The last reallocation of Lok Sabha seats among states occurred in 1973, based on the 1971 Census.
• Delimitation was frozen in 1976 and 2001 to avoid penalising states that had stabilised their populations.

Seat Allocation Dynamics: Concepts for Prelims

• Present seat distribution reflects 1971 population ratios; southern states have had slower population growth since then.
• Southern states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh) are likely to lose seats in fresh delimitation.
• Hindi-speaking states (UP, Bihar, Rajasthan) are likely to gain seats due to higher population growth.
• A Kerala MP currently represents ~14 lakh electors, while a UP or Bihar MP represents ~19 lakh electors — reflecting the distortion in “One Vote, One Value.”

Gerrymandering: Key Facts

• Gerrymandering is the manipulation of constituency boundaries to favour a particular political party or group.
• Cracking: Spreading a party’s supporters thinly across constituencies so they cannot win any seat.
• Packing: Concentrating a party’s supporters in a few constituencies, causing wasted votes and letting opponents win more seats overall.

News Context

• PFRDA revised NPS exit rules, allowing subscribers with a corpus of up to ₹8 lakh to withdraw the full amount without purchasing an annuity.
• Previously, a portion of the corpus was compulsorily used to buy an annuity.

National Pension System (NPS): Key Facts for Prelims

• NPS was launched on January 1, 2004 for new government recruits (excluding armed forces).
• Extended to all Indian citizens (including unorganised sector workers) from May 1, 2009 on a voluntary basis.
• Each subscriber receives a unique PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number), portable across employment, city, or state.
• PFRDA is the governing body for NPS.

NPS Account Structure & Exit Rules: Concepts for Prelims

• Tier I Account: Non-withdrawable, dedicated to retirement savings; eligible for tax benefits.
• Tier II Account: Voluntary savings account; freely withdrawable but no tax benefits.
• If corpus is up to ₹8 lakh, the subscriber can withdraw the full amount without buying an annuity.
• If corpus exceeds ₹8 lakh, at least 40% must be used to purchase an annuity for lifelong pension.
• The remaining 60% can be withdrawn as a lump sum and is exempt from tax.
• Annuity is a pension product offered by IRDAI-regulated life insurance companies.

PFRDA: Key Facts for Prelims

• PFRDA is a statutory regulatory body established under the PFRDA Act, 2013 (enacted 2014).
• It comes under the Ministry of Finance; headquartered in New Delhi.
• Objective: Promote old-age income security by establishing, developing and regulating pension funds.
• PFRDA consists of a Chairperson, three whole-time members, and three part-time members, all appointed by the Central Government.

News Context

• Scientists at the BESIII experiment in Beijing have provided the strongest evidence to date that a particle called X(2370) is a glueball.
• This potentially represents the first evidence of matter made entirely from carriers of a fundamental force.
• X(2370) was first observed in BESIII data in 2011 with properties consistent with a glueball.

Fundamental Forces of Nature: Key Facts for Prelims

QCD and Glueballs: Concepts for Prelims

• Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is the theory describing strong interactions between particles.
• In QCD, the strong force is carried by gluons, similar to how the electromagnetic force is carried by photons.
• Unlike photons, gluons carry a “colour charge” allowing them to interact with each other.
• Glueballs are composite particles formed when gluons bind together, predicted by QCD.
• They are extremely short-lived and quickly decay into lighter particles, making them difficult to detect.
• X(2370) is the leading glueball candidate with a mass consistent with QCD predictions.

Protons and Quarks: Key Facts

• Protons are made up of three smaller particles called quarks.
• Quarks are held together by the strong interaction mediated by gluons.
• Neutrons are also made of three quarks held together by gluons.

News Context

• The BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) launched India’s first community-driven removal programme for invasive alien species at Ujani reservoir, Maharashtra.
• Suckermouth catfish accounts for 30-40% of Ujani reservoir’s total fish population, displacing native species.

Invasive Alien Species (IAS): Key Facts for Prelims

• IAS are species whose introduction and spread outside their natural range threaten biodiversity, as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• CBD summarises IAS characteristics as “Arrive, Survive, and Thrive.”
• Approximately 37,000 established alien species have been introduced globally, with ~200 new species introduced annually.
• Since the 17th century, IAS have contributed to nearly 40% of all animal extinctions.
• Global economic cost of IAS exceeded $423 billion in 2019.

Common IAS in India: Key Facts

• Common IAS: Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora, Water hyacinth, African catfish, Viper grass, Cotton Mealy Bug, Primrose Willow.
• African catfish in Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan preys on native waterfowl and migratory birds.
• Cotton mealybug has devastated cotton crops in the Deccan region.

IAS Control Initiatives: Key Facts

• CBD Aichi Target 9: Identify, prioritise, and manage invasive alien species globally.
• CBD Article 8(h): Requires parties to prevent introduction and control or eradicate IAS already introduced.
• IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG): Aims to reduce IAS threats by promoting prevention, control, and eradication.
• Bonn Convention (CMS): Considers IAS as a threat to migratory species.
• Ramsar Convention COP 7: Addressed IAS threats to wetland ecosystems.