UPSC Current Affairs 26 June 2026

• Developed by DIAL alongside the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Accessible online at the official link: Air Suvidha Portal.

• Self-Declaration Form (SDF): All international arriving travellers from designated regions must submit an online health declaration.
• Timeline: The form can be filled out up to 24 hours prior to arriving in India.
• Travel Window: Passengers must comprehensively detail their 21-day travel history, exposure risks, and current physical symptoms.

• Advance Submission: Authorities advise filling the form during the airline web check-in process before boarding.
• Verification Process: Passengers only need to show a downloaded copy of their completed digital form upon landing.
• Contactless Experience: The process eliminates standard, physical paper forms at international counters.

• Real-Time Data Sharing: Passenger responses automatically sync across critical regulatory databases.
• Coordinating Agencies: Data transfers instantly to the Airport Health Officer, Bureau of Immigration, and State Surveillance Officers.
• At-Risk Tracking: Automated syncing allows for immediate medical intervention, contact tracing, and necessary isolation protocol deployment.

• Geographical Indication (GI): It officially received its GI Tag in May 2017, listing the Andhra Pradesh government as the registered proprietor.
• Native Region: The variety originates from and is primarily cultivated in the Banaganapalle region of the Nandyal (formerly Kurnool) district in Andhra Pradesh.
• Alternative Names: It is widely known by synonyms such as Benishan (named after the royal family of Banganapalle), Baneshan, Safeda, and Chappatai.

• Appearance: The fruit has a distinct obliquely oval shape, typically measuring around 14 to 20 cm in length, with a thin, smooth, and unblemished skin.
• Color transition: The skin turns into a striking golden-yellow hue upon uniform ripening.
• Texture & Taste: It is highly preferred for its fibreless, firm, and meaty pulp, intense sweetness, and heavy aroma.
• Nutritional Value: It is considered an excellent dietary source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

• Extended Shelf Life: A unique trait of this variety is its ability to stay fresh for up to 7 days without refrigeration and maintain quality under cold storage for up to three months, making it perfect for international trade.
• Industrial Utility: Due to its firm, non-fibrous texture and late-season peak (May to July), it is highly sought after by local and global industries for canning, pulping, and manufacturing preserves.
• Scientific Handling: The recent Singapore shipment relied on collaboration with the ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), using Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-certified orchards to strictly meet international phytosanitary standards.

• Nodal Agency: Formally developed by CABS, a specialized laboratory under the DRDO, in extensive collaboration with the IAF and domestic industrial vendors.
• Aircraft Base: The complex system is mounted atop the modified Brazilian Embraer EMB-145I commercial regional jet platform.
• Timeline: The mega-defence project was initiated with government approval in 2004. It achieved its Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in October 2017.

• Radar Suite: It utilizes a state-of-the-art, indigenously designed Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar housed inside its dorsal fin.
• Tracking Coverage: The primary dorsal radar gives an electronic scanning reach covering a 240-to-300-degree window.
• Detection & Target Handling: It functions as a flying command center, capable of simultaneously monitoring over 200 to 250 hostile aerial contacts—including cruise missiles, low-flying stealth drones, and naval ships.
• Range Capacity: The primary radar system reliably scans airspace at distances ranging between 250 to 375+ kilometers.
• Electronics & Communications: Outfitted with advanced Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems, mission computers, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), and encrypted voice/data links.

• Battle-Proven Pedigree: Operated by the No. 200 Squadron out of Bhisiana, Punjab, the pre-FOC aircraft played a vital tactical role guiding fighter aircraft during the 2019 Balakot airstrikes and Operation Sindoor.
• Strategic Role: Serves as a dynamic airborne battlefield manager to direct friendly aircraft, identify targets, and fill vital radar blind spots left by stationary ground stations.
• Next-Gen Scaling: Building on this FOC success, DRDO is concurrently advancing the Netra Mk-II system. It will feature Gallium Nitride (GaN) based multi-sensor radars integrated onto modified Airbus A321 platforms for absolute 300-degree tracking coverage.

• Celebrating Excellence: Aims to publically honour educators who have demonstrated outstanding commitment, pedagogical innovations, and dedication to the field of education.
• Holistic Focus: Recognizes teachers who go beyond textbook curricula to enrich student mentorship, community outreach, institutional development, and research.

• School Education: Open to regular teachers serving in schools managed by State Governments, UT Administrations, Central Government bodies (like KVs, JNVs), local civic bodies, and private aided or unaided schools.
• Higher Education & Polytechnics: Open to full-time faculty members teaching in technical or non-technical Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and polytechnic colleges.
• Key Experience Filter: Higher education applicants must possess a minimum of 5 years of full-time teaching experience at the undergraduate or postgraduate level.
• Age Ceiling: Nominees for the higher education category must generally be under 55 years of age as of the closing date. Administrative heads like regular Vice-Chancellors or Directors are not eligible.

• Modes of Entry: Eligible candidates can apply via Self-Nomination, institutional nomination by their heads of schools/colleges, or direct peer nomination by fellow colleagues.
• Official Hub: All school-level registrations take place directly through the National Awards to Teachers Portal.

• Phase 1 (Registration): Online portal remains open for initial entries until July 10, 2026.
• Phase 2 (Lower Screening): District and Regional-level selection committees evaluate and filter profiles between July 14 and July 21, 2026.
• Phase 3 (State Screening): State and Organizational screening committees forward a strictly capped shortlist to the center by July 29, 2026.
• Phase 4 (National Jury Interactivity): An independent 5-member national jury of eminent academicians conducts video-conference interactions with final nominees from August 3 to August 7, 2026.
• Phase 5 (Final Selection): Names are officially locked on August 8, 2026, with final approval granted by the Union Education Minister.

• Teachers' Day Tradition: The final cohort of selected awardees is traditionally felicitated on September 5, 2026 (Teachers' Day).
• Honourable Presenter: The prestigious certificates and medals are physically presented by the President of India at a formal state ceremony in New Delhi to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

• Scientific Classification: It belongs to the genus Eryx under the Boidae family of non-venomous, burrowing snakes.
• Recent Scientific Identity: The species was formally described as a unique, independent species by Iranian scientists only recently in 2020.
• Past Misidentification: For decades, it was classified under the invalid taxonomic arrangement Eryx johnii persicus (a supposed subspecies of the Red Sand Boa).
• Naming Origin: It is named after the Sistan region in the Sistan & Baluchistan Province of Iran, where the first official specimens were documented.

• Distinct Body Markings: Unlike adult red sand boas that lose their markings as they grow, the Sistan sand boa retains dark, sooty bands across its body throughout its life.
• Tail Shape: It features a gradually tapering tail toward the tip, making it distinct from the blunt, rounded tails of true red sand boas.
• Colour Scheme: Its base coloration changes with age, featuring buff-coloured juveniles while subadults and adults display tan to tan-brown shades.
• The "Double-Headed" Illusion: Typical of sand boas, its thick body and blunt features often give it a "double-headed" appearance, a defence trick used to confuse predators.

• Known Global Range: Prior to this discovery, it was considered endemic only to Iran and Pakistan.
• Indian Locations: Confirmed sightings were mapped in the Churu, Sikar, and Bikaner (Jorbeer Conservation Reserve) districts of Rajasthan.
• Potential Regional Spread: Scientists suspect a much wider distribution across other low-rainfall, arid belts of northwestern India, potentially extending into Haryana and Punjab.
• Human Landscapes: It exhibits a fossorial (burrowing) lifestyle but is frequently found close to human settlements, favouring farmlands, cow sheds, compact sandy soils, and suburban gardens.

• Legal Protection: It is protected under Schedule II of India's Wildlife Protection Act.
• Conservation Status: It is currently not yet evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• Habitat Alteration Threats: Agricultural intensification, intensive land-use changes, and desert modification directly threaten its preferred habitat.
• Wildlife Trade Vulnerability: Because it is docile, tolerant to high temperature variations, and low maintenance, herpetologists warn it could become a prime target for the illegal pet trade and unregulated herping tourism.

• The Core Concept: Constructive Res Judicata is an artificial legal fiction and an extension of the traditional rule of Res Judicata ("a matter already judged").
• Codified Status: In India, it is explicitly statutory, embodied under Explanation IV of Section 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), 1908.
• The "Might and Ought" Rule: Explanation IV dictates that any ground of attack or defence that a party might and ought to have raised in a previous lawsuit is legally deemed to have been raised and decided.
• Omissions Barred: It legally bars a party from bringing a fresh lawsuit based on claims or arguments omitted in an earlier round due to oversight, negligence, or deliberate strategic splitting.

• Same Disputing Parties: The litigating parties or their legal representatives in the new lawsuit must be identical to the earlier round.
• Identical Factual Base: Both legal actions must stem fundamentally from the same underlying dispute, cause of action, or bundle of facts.
• Prior Final Decision: The earlier court proceeding must have been formally concluded with a final order or judgment delivered strictly on its merits.
• Fair Prior Opportunity: The issue raised now must have been mature, ripe, and capable of being conveniently addressed during the first case without creating procedural confusion.

• Judicial Efficiency: It drastically cuts down the backlog of cases by restricting multiple legal battles flowing out of a single dispute.
• Finality of Verdicts: It brings absolute certainty and finality to judgments, ensuring winning parties are not indefinitely dragged back to court.
• Rule against Double Vexation: It upholds the public policy principle that no individual should be harassed twice (nemo debet bis vexari) for the exact same cause.
• Applicability to Writ Petitions: Though rooted in civil code, Indian jurisprudence consistently extends this doctrine to writ proceedings under Articles 226 and 32 of the Constitution to maintain systemic finality.

• Primary Homeland: The Ao Nagas are one of the major, frontline indigenous warrior tribes of Nagaland, primarily inhabiting the scenic Mokokchung District (often called the cultural capital of Nagaland).
• Significant Footprint: Their ancestral domain stretches beautifully across six distinct mountain ranges within the state, known locally as Asetsüng, Tanem, Chongli, Chapvuk, Langpangkong, and Tsürangkong.

• The Putu Menden: The tribe is distinguished by its highly democratic, clan-based village council system called the Putu Menden (meaning "Seat of the Generation").
• Generational Rotation: Governance is unique because the ruling council members hold office for a strict generational lease (usually 30 years), after which power is smoothly transferred to the next age-group cohort.
• Patrilineal Clans: Society is strictly patrilineal, organized into distinct exogamous clans, meaning marriage within the same clan is traditionally forbidden.

• Moatsü Festival: Celebrated in the first week of May after completion of clearing fields and sowing seeds. It is a period of community bonding, grand feasts, and the symbolic Sangpangtu (large community bonfires).
• Tsüngremmông Festival: Celebrated in August just before the harvest. It serves as a sacred time to seek the blessings of the Almighty (Lijaba) for a bountiful yield and involves vigorous traditional dances.
• Aviation & Attire: Known for their striking traditional handlooms. The woven shawls (like the Tsüngkotepsu for men) feature specific symbolic motifs like tigers, mithuns, and spears, representing the wearer's courage, wealth, and social status.

• Pioneers of Education: The Ao Nagas were the first among the Naga tribes to embrace Western education and Christianity in the late 19th century following the arrival of American Baptist missionaries.
• First Naga Village: Molungkimong and Molungyimsen villages in Mokokchung are celebrated historic landmarks as the cradles of Christianity and modern education in Nagaland.
• High Literacy: Due to this early exposure, the tribe boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the Northeast region and has produced prominent bureaucrats, writers, and political leaders.

• Native Hub: Thewa is a highly specialized, 400-year-old jewellery-making tradition originating strictly from the Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan.
• Historical Roots: The art blossomed during the Mughal and Rajput eras under the direct patronage of Maharawat Samant Singh.
• Linguistic Meaning: The word Thewa translates locally to "setting", describing the exact practice of embedding precious metals into a base.
• GI Protection: The unique handicraft was officially granted a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2014 to preserve its regional authenticity.

• The Core Technique: The art involves a delicate, highly skilled thermal process where hand-carved 23-carat gold sheet patterns are permanently fused onto vibrant, molten glass.
• No Adhesives: The distinct feature of true Thewa art is that the gold layer bonds with the treated glass base entirely without using glue, solder, or external pasting materials.
• Filigree Etching: Craftsmen create a gold sheet called Thewa Ki Patti, stick it to a temporary lac-resin board, and carefully punch or etch out micro-patterns using exceptionally fine needles and chisels.
• Time-Intensive Labor: Because it is completely handcrafted, designing and executing a single premier piece of jewellery can take up to an entire month.

• Thematic Artistry: The designs traditionally mirror the folklore, vibrant wildlife, and cultural landscape of Rajasthan, featuring intricate depictions of deer, peacocks, hunting expeditions, and royal processions.
• Religious Imagery: It heavily incorporates iconic scenes from Hindu mythology, prominently showcasing Lord Krishna’s Raasleela and depictions of local folklore.
• The "Glowing" Illusion: The special treatment given to the multi-coloured glass base (typically deep emerald green, ruby red, or sapphire blue) catches light uniquely, giving an optical illusion that the ornament is glowing from an internal source.

• Guarded Family Secret: For centuries, the deep technical execution secrets of the craft were strictly guarded and passed down exclusively from father to son within the Nathulalji Soni family (traditionally referred to as Raj-Sonis).
• Award-Winning Lineage: This single extended family holds a historic record for receiving the highest number of National and UNESCO awards for a single craft form, including the Padma Shri awarded to Mahesh Rajsoni in 2015.
• Museum Presence: Exquisite historical specimens of Pratapgarh's Thewa art are preserved and displayed globally at premium locations like The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

• The U.K. Design Loophole: Scammers exploit the U.K. Intellectual Property Office's design registration system, which grants approvals in as little as 11 days.
• Zero Verification: Unlike a traditional utility patent, design registries only protect the external look of an object, not how it works. Applications are automatically approved without checking for novelty, utility, or scientific viability.
• Misrepresentation: Academics buy these cosmetic design certificates but intentionally label them as prestigious, fully-vetted "international utility patents" on their resumes.

• Absurd Titles: The sold certificates feature complex, AI-generated titles to sound highly sophisticated, such as an "Artificial Intelligence Powered Skin Cancer Inspection Device with Design Thinking".
• Recycled Images: To bypass manual review, broker firms populate the applications with stolen clip art, stock photos, or completely unrelated technical schematics—including one medical device application that used a recycled 3D schematic of a Glock pistol.
• Zero Prototyping: None of these registered designs are tied to actual laboratory experiments, functional research, physical prototypes, or industry applications.

• Quantitative Pressures: The primary driver of the black market is the immense systemic pressure on universities to rank highly in institutional frameworks like NAAC, NBA, and the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
• CV Inflation: Individual professors buy their way onto these applications to meet mandatory Academic Performance Indicator (API) points required for promotions, raises, and job security.
• Filing vs. Granting: Private universities frequently boast public marketing claims of filing over 1,000+ patents annually. However, less than 2% of these utility applications are ever verified and officially granted by patent offices.

• Resource Drainage: The practice results in a waste of state funds, as some universities use government research grants to pay for these fake registrations.
• Undermining Real Innovation: The sheer volume of fake filings clogs international systems and dilutes the value of legitimate, hard-earned scientific breakthroughs.
• Systemic Cleanup: Regulatory bodies like the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) are actively reviewing the data to introduce strict retraction indicators, move academic rankings away from pure numbers, and penalize participating faculty.

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