PRELIMS CA 17 SEPT 2026

Subject: Misc

Context: Actor Anant Nag was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024.
Nature: India's highest official award in cinema | Conferred annually at National Film Awards.
Instituted: 1969 to mark birth centenary of Dhundiraj Govind Dadasaheb Phalke.
Administration: Presented by President of India | Administered via NFDC/DFF under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Components: Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, ceremonial shawl + cash purse of ₹15 lakh.
First Recipient: Devika Rani (1969) at the 17th National Film Awards.
Posthumous Recipients: Awarded posthumously only twice — Prithviraj Kapoor (1971) + Vinod Khanna (2017).
2024 Laureate: Conferred on veteran actor Anant Nag.
Dadasaheb Phalke: Revered as Father of Indian Cinema | Directed India's first full-length silent feature film Raja Harishchandra (1913).

Subject: IR

Context: India rejected the operationalisation of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission following its inaugural meeting in Islamabad.
Nature: Bilateral institutional mechanism between China and Pakistan to manage frontier affairs across Xinjiang and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Legal Basis: Traced to March 1963 Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement | Pakistan illegally ceded ~5,180 sq km Shaksgam Valley to China.
Key Functions: Conducts joint boundary surveys + regulates border transit via Khunjerab Pass + upgrades CPEC logistical infrastructure.
India's Stand: Asserts no common border exists between China and Pakistan | Region forms integral part of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Subject: Environment

Context: India’s cheetah population reached 52 across Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary according to a four-year status review.
Current Status: Total population stands at 52, including 32 cubs born in India | Present in Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
Conservation Status: Listed globally as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List | Asiatic subspecies is Critically Endangered + Listed under CITES Appendix I.
Indian History: Asiatic cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
Habitat & Range: Prefers open savannahs and dry grasslands | Survives in 9% of historical range across Africa, Iran, and India.
Anatomical Traits: Semi-retractable claws act as traction spikes | Black anti-glare tear stripes assist daytime hunting.
Behaviour: Strictly diurnal hunter relying on visual tracking | Males form territorial coalitions while females live solitary.

Subject: Environment

Context: Researchers discovered a new limbless amphibian species in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra.
Type: Newly described caecilian (limbless amphibian) | Belongs to family Grandisoniidae + genus Gegeneophis.
Distribution: Discovered in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra | Endemic to northern Western Ghats.
Habitat: Strictly fossorial (burrowing underground) | Thrives in moist organic leaf litter and compost.
Morphology: Slender, ringed, cylindrical, and completely tailless body.
Anatomy: Bears 132–135 primary body rings | Total length ranges from 105 mm to 185 mm.
Adaptations: Features a translucent belly exposing internal organs + skin-covered vestigial eyes.
Resemblance: Equipped with sensory tentacles | Easily mistaken for large earthworms or blind snakes.

Subject: IR

Context: India protested to Pakistan after a naval collision violating Article 10 of their 1991 bilateral agreement.
Nature: Bilateral military confidence-building measure (CBM) | Signed in 1991 between India and Pakistan.
Background: Triggered by Operation Brasstacks (1986–87) fallout + 1988 Non-Attack on Nuclear Installations Agreement.
Advance Notice Tiers: 15 days for naval/air drills | 60 days for corps-level + 90 days for army-level exercises.
Airspace Buffer: Combat aircraft restricted within 10 km of border/ADIZ | 5 km buffer near forward border airfields.
Naval Thresholds: Applies to maneuvers involving 6 or more combat vessels (frigate size or above).
Article 10: Mandates minimum 3 nautical miles safety buffer between naval vessels/submarines in international waters.

Subject: Economy

Context: India retained 131st rank out of 145 countries in WEF's Global Gender Gap Index 2026.
Publisher: World Economic Forum (WEF) | Published annually since 2006.
Scale: Measures parity on a 0 to 1 scale across 14 indicators.
Subindexes: Comprises four dimensions — Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, Political Empowerment.
India's Standing: Ranked 131st globally with 64.5% parity | Highest subindex performance in Political Empowerment (67th).
Global Rankings: Iceland ranked 1st globally for 16th consecutive edition | Chad ranked lowest (145th).
Global Timeline: Current global parity is 69.2% | Full gender equality estimated in 120 years.
PYQ Link: Prelims 2017 (WEF identified as the publishing authority of the Global Gender Gap Index).

Subject: Geography

Context: Djibouti officially signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the 72nd nation to join the US-led multilateral space framework.
Location: Horn of Africa | Fronts Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting Red Sea to Gulf of Aden.
Bordering Nations: Bounded by Eritrea to north, Ethiopia to west/southwest, and Somalia to south.
Geological Feature: Lies at triple junction of Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and East African Rift systems.
Topography: Highest peak is Mount Moussa | Lowest point in Africa is Lake Assal at 155 m below sea level.
Hydrology: Completely lacks permanent rivers | Shares terminal basin Lake Abbe with Ethiopia.
Ecology: Arid climate influenced by khamsin winds + Montane Day Forest microclimate.