Prelims Current Affairs includes World Day of War Orphans, Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, Battery Pack Aadhaar System, Typhoid , Double-Humped Bactrian Camel, Chilika Lake, Notifiable Disease and India’s Rise in Who Pharmacovigilance Database

IMPORTANT DAY

1. WORLD DAY OF WAR ORPHANS

Observed every year on 6 January

Aim: to highlight the suffering and challenges faced by children orphaned due to war.

IMPORTANT DAY

IMP. DAY

2. GURU GOBIND SINGH JAYANTI

Celebrated on 6 January

Aim: to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.

ABOUT GURU GOBIND SINGH

• Born: 22 December 1666 (Julian calendar)
• Birthplace: Patna, Bihar
• Position: Tenth and last Sikh Guru

SIGNIFICANCE

• He founded the Khalsa Panth
• Strengthened Sikh identity and resistance against injustice
• Promoted equality, courage and righteousness

SCIENCE AND TECH.

3. BATTERY PACK AADHAAR SYSTEM

Current Context: The Central Government released draft guidelines for the Battery Pack Aadhaar System to improve battery traceability.

ABOUT BATTERY PACK AADHAAR

• Indigenous digital identification system for batteries
• Enables end-to-end lifecycle tracking

OBJECTIVES

• Enhance transparency and accountability
• Promote sustainability in the battery ecosystem
• Enable monitoring of environmental impact

KEY FEATURES

• Unique Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) for each battery
• Mandatory for EV battery packs and industrial batteries above 2 kWh
• 21-character BPAN with QR code

SIGNIFICANCE

• Enables second-life usage of batteries
• Supports regulatory compliance
• Improves recycling efficiency and predictive maintenance

HEALTH

4. TYPHOID

Current Context: Gandhinagar is witnessing a surge in typhoid cases, linked to contaminated drinking water and flaws in the city’s water supply system.

ABOUT TYPHOID

• Type: Life-threatening bacterial infection
• Causative Agent: Salmonella Typhi

TRANSMISSION

• Spread only from human to human
• Through contaminated food and drinking water
• Bacteria shed through stools and urine of infected persons

PREVALENCE

• Common in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene
• High incidence in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa

SYMPTOMS

• Prolonged high fever
• Fatigue and headache
• Abdominal pain, nausea
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Rash in some cases

TREATMENT AND CONCERNS

• Treated using antibiotics
• Antimicrobial resistance is increasing
• Severe cases may cause complications or death

ENVIRONMENT

5. DOUBLE-HUMPED BACTRIAN CAMEL

Current Context: Ladakh’s double-humped Bactrian camels will debut at the 77th Republic Day Parade.

ABOUT BACTRIAN CAMEL

• Scientific Name: Camelus bactrianus
• Known as Ladakh’s “silent warriors”

DISTRIBUTION

• Native to arid regions of Central Asia
• Found from Afghanistan to China
• Small populations in Nubra Valley, Ladakh

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

• Two humps store fat for energy and water
• Thick shaggy coat protects against extreme cold
• Can survive temperatures as low as –40°C
• Sealable nostrils protect from frozen dust
• Broad feet act like snowshoes
• Can eat snow for hydration
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

PLACE IN NEWS

6. CHILIKA LAKE

Current Context: The Odisha government is preparing a new action plan for the protection of Chilika Lake’s biodiversity and regional development.

ABOUT CHILIKA LAKE

• Type: Brackish water lagoon with estuarine character
• Location: Odisha (Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts)
• Status: Asia’s largest brackish water lake

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

• Located at the mouth of the Daya River
• Water spread varies from 900 to 1,165 sq km
• Connected to the Bay of Bengal by a 32 km long channel

IMPORTANT ISLANDS

• Nalabana Island: Bird Sanctuary (since 1987)
• Kalijai Island: Famous for Kalijai Temple
• Other islands include Satpada, Honeymoon, Breakfast and Beacon Islands

INTERNATIONAL STATUS

• First Indian wetland designated under the Ramsar Convention (1981)

HEALTH

7.  NOTIFIABLE DISEASE

Current Context: The Delhi government is set to declare rabies as a notifiable disease to strengthen disease surveillance.

ABOUT NOTIFIABLE DISEASE

• A disease that must be reported to government authorities by law

LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN INDIA

• Governed by the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
• State governments decide the list of notifiable diseases

CRITERIA FOR NOTIFICATION

• Public health importance
• Severity and mortality potential
• High communicability
• Risk of outbreak or international spread

REPORTING MECHANISM

• Mandatory reporting by medical practitioners and laboratories
• Enables early warning and outbreak control.

MISCELLANEOUS 

8.  INDIA’S RISE IN WHO PHARMACOVIGILANCE DATABASE

Current Context: India has improved its global ranking from 123rd in 2014 to 8th in 2025 in contributions to the World Health Organization’s pharmacovigilance database.

KEY DRIVER: Improvement attributed to the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI)

ABOUT PvPI

• Launched: 2010
• Nature: Government of India’s flagship drug safety programme
• Function:
• Monitors adverse drug reactions
• Sends regulatory recommendations to CDSCO

ABOUT WHO PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAL DRUG MONITORING (PIDM)

• Established: 1968
• Aim: Ensure global safety of medicines and vaccines
• VigiBase: WHO’s global database of adverse drug event reports

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