Prelims Current Affairs includes Universal Children’s Day, India’s Dugong (Sea Cows) Are Under Threat, LeadIT, SC Calls for Stronger Tiger Conservation Measures, YUVA AI for ALL Initiative, Global Climate Change Performance Index 2026, UK Named Country Partner for Hornbill Festival 2025.

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY

Observed every year on November 20.
Aim: to promote international togetherness and awareness about children’s rights and welfare.
Origin: Marks the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1951959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989.
Theme: “My day, my rights” and “For every child, every right.”

ENVIRONMENT

2. INDIA’S DUGONG (SEA COWS) ARE UNDER THREAT

Current Context: A recent report released at the IUCN Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi warns of the growing threat to India’s dugong population.

ABOUT DUGONGS

• Dugong dugon — marine mammals called “sea cows” due to their gentle nature and herbivorous diet.
• Habitat: Warm, shallow coastal waters from western Pacific to Indian Ocean, including Red Sea & Persian Gulf.
• Require healthy seagrass meadows for feeding, calving, and mating.
• Status: Globally Vulnerable; protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act.
• Key Indian habitats: Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

3. LEADIT

Current Context: At COP30 (Belém, Brazil), India’s Environment Minister addressed the LeadIT Industry Leaders’ Roundtable.

ABOUT LeadIT

Launch: 2019, jointly by India & Sweden with support from World Economic Forum at UN Climate Action Summit.
Purpose: Accelerate transition of hard-to-abate industries—steel, cement, aluminium, chemicals, heavy transport—toward Net-Zero by 2050.
Among first global platforms focused on industrial decarbonisation.
LeadIT 2.0 (2024–2026): Adopted at COP28 (Dubai), shifts from dialogue to implementation.

4. SC CALLS FOR STRONGER TIGER CONSERVATION MEASURES

Current Context: Supreme Court directed Uttarakhand to fully restore Corbett Tiger Reserve after findings of illegal tree-felling and construction.

ABOUT CORBETT TIGER RESERVE

• Asia’s first national park (1936).
• Originally Hailey National Park, renamed in 1956 after Jim Corbett.
• First park included under Project Tiger (1973).
• Located in the Himalayan foothills, Uttarakhand.

SCHEMES

5. YUVA AI FOR ALL INITIATIVE

Current Context: MeitY, under IndiaAI Mission, launched YUVA AI for ALL, a free national AI-literacy course.

ABOUT YUVA AI for ALL

• Free 4.5-hour self-paced online course introducing basics of AI.
• Aim: Empower 1 crore Indians with foundational AI knowledge & promote responsible/ethical AI.

Key Features:

• Govt-certified certificate upon completion.
• Hosted on FutureSkills Prime, iGOT Karmayogi, etc.
• Covers basics, applications, ethics, safety, opportunities.
• Uses Indian real-world examples.

REPORTS & INDICES

6. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX 2026

Current Context: India fell to 23rd rank due to lack of coal exit plan, despite renewable energy progress.

ABOUT CCPI

• Annual global tool evaluating climate performance of 63 countries + EU (90% of global GHG emissions).
• Released by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, Climate Action Network.
• Top 3 positions remain vacant (no country aligned fully yet).

Top Rankings 2026:
4th: Denmark (80.52)
5th: Morocco (70.75)
6th: UK (70.8)
India: Rank 23 (down from 10 in 2025).
Reason for drop: No coal exit plan, fossil expansion, land conflicts in RE projects.

ART AND CULTURE

7. UK NAMED COUNTRY PARTNER FOR HORNBILL FESTIVAL 2025

Current Context: UK selected as Country Partner for Hornbill Festival 2025 (1–10 Dec, Kisama, Kohima).

ABOUT HORNBILL FESTIVAL

• First organized in 2000 to promote inter-tribal interaction and preserve Naga heritage.
• Held annually (Dec 1–10) in Kisama Heritage Village, Nagaland.
• Known as “Festival of Festivals”.
• Showcases Naga culture, traditions, dance, crafts, cuisine & music.
• Organized by State Tourism & Art & Culture Departments.
• Named after the Great Indian Hornbill, culturally important to Naga tribes.

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