Prelims Current Affairs includes International Day For The Preservation Of The Ozone Layer, Supreme Court Launches Jan Soochna Seva In Hindi, Semicon India 2026, India’s Artificial Sun: New Gyrotron Boosts Fusion Research, India Launches Shield Programme For Microwave Defence Testing, Ins Kulish & Chaba Power Station Faces High-Altitude Shift

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE OZONE LAYER

Current Context: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed on 16 September to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987.

ABOUT THE DAY

• Proclaimed by: UN General Assembly through Resolution in 1994
• First observed: 16 September 1995
• Theme 2026:“Global action for a cooler planet”

ABOUT THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL

• It is a global environmental agreement aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as CFCs, halons and HCFCs.
• It entered into force in 1989.
• Universal Ratification:16 September 2009 (first treaties in UN history to achieve universal ratification – Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol)
• The Kigali Amendment (2016) added a climate dimension by providing for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases.

POLITY/GOVERNANCE

2. SUPREME COURT LAUNCHES JAN SOOCHNA SEVA IN HINDI

Current Context: Supreme Court launched Jan Soochna Seva in Hindi on Hindi Diwas 2026.

ABOUT JAN SOOCHNA SEVA

• Jan Soochna Seva is a public-information initiative of the Supreme Court of India aimed at making judicial information more accessible, understandable and inclusive.
• It will provide simplified Hindi summaries of selected important Supreme Court judgments and orders.
• The service will also provide audio and video bulletins of around 15-30 minutes, explaining important judicial decisions in an easier format.
• The service will initially be available in Hindi, with plans to expand it to other Indian languages in a phased manner.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

• Article 348 of the Constitution deals with the language to be used in the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Under Article 348(1)(a), all proceedings in the Supreme Court and every High Court shall be in English, unless Parliament provides otherwise by law.
• Therefore, Hindi is NOT the official language of proceedings of the Supreme Court.
• This should be distinguished from Article 343, which declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union. Article 343 does not make Hindi the language of Supreme Court proceedings.

CAN HINDI BE USED IN COURTS?

• High Courts: Under Article 348(2), the Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorise the use of Hindi or another language used for official purposes of that State in High Court proceedings.
• However, the constitutional provision does not provide the same option for the Supreme Court.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

3. SEMICON INDIA 2026

Current Context: SEMICON India 2026 to be held from 17-19 September 2026 in New Delhi.

ABOUT SEMICON INDIA 2026

• SEMICON India is a major platform bringing together stakeholders across the semiconductor and electronics value chain.
• The 2026 edition is the 5th edition of SEMICON India.
• It is being jointly organised by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and SEMI, the global industry association for the semiconductor and electronics ecosystem.
• Venue: Yashobhoomi, India International Convention & Expo Centre, Dwarka, New Delhi.
• Theme:“From Silicon to Systems: Developing the Ecosystem”
• The event will bring together semiconductor manufacturers, equipment and materials suppliers, technology companies, policymakers, investors, researchers, academia, startups and students.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

4. INDIA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN: NEW GYROTRON BOOSTS FUSION RESEARCH

Current Context: India installed 82.6 GHz, 400 kW gyrotron on SST-1 Tokamak at Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gujarat.

ABOUT INDIA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN

• Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), an autonomous R&D organisation under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is India’s leading institution for plasma and fusion research. It operates the SST-1 and ADITYA/ADITYA-U
• SST-1 stands for Steady State Superconducting Tokamak-1.
• A tokamak is a doughnut-shaped fusion device that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine extremely hot plasma away from the reactor walls.
• The newly integrated 6 GHz gyrotron can provide up to 400 kW of radio-frequency (RF) power for plasma heating. IPR’s official information says the system operates with pulse durations of up to 0.5 seconds.

WHAT IS A GYROTRON?

• A gyrotron is a high-power microwave source used in fusion devices.
• It generates high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are injected into the plasma.
• These waves interact with electrons at their electron cyclotron resonance frequency, transferring energy to the plasma.
• This technique is known as Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH).

Nuclear Fusion:

• Light atomic nuclei combine under extreme pressure and temperature to release energy
• Unlike fission (splitting of heavy nuclei)
• Current Status:Experimental research installation, not a fusion power plant

DEFENCE

5. INDIA LAUNCHES SHIELD PROGRAMME FOR MICROWAVE DEFENCE TESTING

Current Context: DRDO launched SHIELD programme under Technology Development Fund (TDF).

• ABOUT SHIELD PROGRAMME
• SHIELD stands for S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage.
• It is aimed at developing a specialised platform to study how high-power microwave radiation affects electronic systems, particularly those used in drones.
• The programme is being pursued under the Technology Development Fund (TDF), which supports indigenous development of defence technologies by Indian industry, including private-sector companies.

WHAT IS HIGH-POWER MICROWAVE (HPM) TECHNOLOGY?

• High-Power Microwaves are intense electromagnetic waves that can interfere with or damage electronic circuits.
• Unlike conventional weapons that physically destroy a target, HPM systems can potentially disable electronic components without directly destroying the entire platform.
• This makes HPM technology relevant for counter-drone warfare and electronic warfare.
• Drones are particularly vulnerable because their operation depends heavily on electronics, communication links, navigation systems, sensors and flight-control systems.

DEFENCE

6. INS KULISH

Current Context: INS Kulish reached Ream Naval Base, Cambodia as part of Eastern Fleet’s operational deployment.

ABOUT INS KULISH

• INS Kulish (P63) is a guided-missile corvette of the Indian Navy.
• It belongs to the Kora-class of guided-missile corvettes, also known as Project 25A.
• The ship was designed and built in India by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• Commissioned:
• The name “Kulish” is derived from Sanskrit and means “Thunderbolt”.
• Its primary role is surface warfare, particularly engaging enemy surface vessels with anti-ship missiles.

HIMACHAL NEWS

7. CHABA POWER STATION FACES HIGH-ALTITUDE SHIFT

Current Context: The over 100-year-old Chaba Hydel Power Project in Himachal Pradesh may get a new powerhouse at a slightly higher elevation to protect it from recurring monsoon floods.

The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has urged NTPC to fund the relocation after repeated flood-related damage to the existing facility.

ABOUT CHABA HYDEL POWER PROJECT

• Chaba Hydel Power Project is one of Himachal Pradesh’s historic hydroelectric installations and is associated with the early electrification of Shimla.
• The project was commissioned around 1913-14 and has an installed capacity of about 75 MW.
• It was originally developed primarily to supply electricity to Shimla, making it an important milestone in the history of electricity generation in the region.
• The project is located in the Chaba area of Shimla district.
• Significance:Second-oldest power project in Himachal Pradesh (after Bhuri Singh power project in Chamba)

Issue:

• Repeated flooding during monsoon
• Construction of NTPC’s Koldam hydropower project downstream may have contributed to rising water levels
• Retaining wall raised but water still enters power station

Download Pdf | Study Material | Downloads | Daily Quiz  | FREE Youtube Videos