Prelims Current Affairs includes National Productivity Day , Wet Dress Rehearsal, Pm–Suraj Portal, National Large Solar Telescope (Nlst), Lymphatic Filariasis, Network Readiness Index 2025, Removal Of The Lok Sabha Speaker  & Almatti Dam

IMPORTANT DAY

1. NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY DAY

Observed on 12 February every year to promote a productivity-driven culture in India.

ABOUT NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY DAY

• Observed On: 12 February annually
• Purpose: To encourage efficiency, innovation, and productivity awareness across sectors
• Celebrated By: National Productivity Council

SPACE

2. WET DRESS REHEARSAL

Current Context: Recently, NASA detected a hydrogen leak during a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission.

ABOUT WET DRESS REHEARSAL

• Meaning: It is the final full practice run conducted before an actual rocket launch
• Why “Wet”: The term refers to loading cryogenic fuels such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket
• Objective: To test the readiness of launch systems, hardware, and ground teams under real launch conditions

About ARTEMIS II MISSION

• Artemis II is an important upcoming mission under NASA’s Artemis program.
• Mission Type: First crewed mission of the Artemis program
• Program: Artemis program of NASA
• Significance: First human mission to travel to the Moon’s vicinity since 1972
• Launch Vehicle: Space Launch System (SLS) rocket
• Spacecraft: Orion spacecraft
• Historical Importance: First time humans will travel beyond Low Earth Orbit in more than 50 years
• Reentry Plan: Orion will perform high-speed reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean
• Future Link: Prepares for Artemis III, which aims for human landing on the lunar surface by 2028.

E-GOVERNANCE

3. PM–SURAJ PORTAL

Current Context: The PM–SURAJ portal disbursed loans worth Rs 1,389.61 crore to 1.39 lakh entrepreneurs during the financial year 2024–25, exceeding its target.

ABOUT PM–SURAJ PORTAL

• Full Form: Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan
• Launched By: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• Launched In: 2024
• Objective: To provide virtual credit support to entrepreneurs from disadvantaged sections of society
• Nature of Platform: Centralised digital portal for loan application and tracking
• Eligibility: Only individuals planning to establish a new business can apply
• Loan Facility: Business loans up to Rs 15 lakh at low interest rates
• Fund Transfer Mechanism: Direct transfer to bank accounts through banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies – Micro Finance Institutions, and other financial institutions

Implemented Through:

• National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation
• National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation
• National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation
• Target Beneficiaries: Backward classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other disadvantaged groups
• Purpose: To extend credit assistance and promote self-employment among marginalised communities

SPACE

4. NATIONAL LARGE SOLAR TELESCOPE (NLST)

Current Context: The Union Budget sanctioned the establishment of the National Large Solar Telescope and the National Large Optical–Near Infrared Telescope for advanced space research.

ABOUT NATIONAL LARGE SOLAR TELESCOPE

• Type: Ground-based solar telescope
• Aperture Size: 2–metre
• Location: Merak region near Pangong Tso Lake
• Purpose: To study the Sun
• Operational Wavelengths: Visible and Near-Infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum

Scientific Importance:

• Study of solar dynamics and magnetism
• Observation of energetic solar events
• Mapping space weather processes affecting Earth and satellites
• National Significance: Helps protect national space assets like satellites and space missions
• Status: Will become India’s third ground-based solar observatory

Existing Solar Observatories:

• Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (Tamil Nadu)
• Udaipur Solar Observatory (Rajasthan)

ABOUT NATIONAL LARGE OPTICAL–NEAR INFRARED TELESCOPE

• Type: Segmented-mirror optical and infrared telescope
• Aperture Size:7–metre
• Location: Hanle
• Technology Used: Segmented primary mirror design
• Mirror Structure:
• Composed of 90 smaller hexagonal mirror segments
• Functions as a single large mirror

HEALTH

5. LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS

Current Context: The Union Health Minister recently launched the Annual Nationwide Mass Drug Administration Campaign for the elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis.

ABOUT LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS

• Common Name: Elephantiasis (Haatipaon)
• Disease Type: Neglected Tropical Disease
• Transmission: Vector-borne disease
• Vector: Female Culex mosquito
• Cause: Infection by filarial nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea
• Major Parasites Involved:
• Wuchereria bancrofti – Responsible for about 90 percent of cases
• Brugia malayi – Causes most of the remaining cases
• Brugia timori – Also causes the disease

REPORT

6.  NETWORK READINESS INDEX 2025

Current Context: India improved its ranking by four positions and is placed at 45th rank in the Network Readiness Index 2025.

ABOUT NETWORK READINESS INDEX

• Purpose: Assesses how economies use Information and Communication Technologies for development
• Prepared By: Portulans Institute
• Coverage: 127 economies
• Assessment Framework: Based on four pillars
• Four Pillars: Technology, People, Governance, Impact

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FOR INDIA

Score Improvement:

• 2024: 53.63 out of 100
• 2025: 54.43 out of 100

India Secured 1st Rank In:

• Annual investment in telecommunication services
• Artificial Intelligence scientific publications
• Information and Communication Technology services exports
• E-commerce legislation

India Secured 2nd Rank In:

• Fibre-to-the-home / Building Internet subscriptions
• Mobile broadband internet traffic
• International Internet bandwidth

India Secured 3rd Rank In:

• Domestic market scale
• Income inequality
• Income Group Performance: Ranked 2nd among lower-middle-income countries

POLITY

7.  REMOVAL OF THE LOK SABHA SPEAKER

Current Context: The Opposition recently moved a resolution for the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION

• Relevant Article: Article 94
• Article 94 Provides For: Vacation of office,Resignation,Removal of Speaker and Deputy Speaker
• Removal Condition (Article 94(c)): Speaker may be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha

PROCEDURE FOR REMOVAL

Notice Requirement:

• Must be given in writing to the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha
• Requires support of at least 50 members for admission
• Time Condition: Minimum fourteen days’ notice required
• Listing of Motion: Included in List of Business on a day fixed

STATUS OF SPEAKER DURING REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS

• Cannot preside over the House
• Can participate in discussion
• Can vote in the first instance
• Cannot exercise casting vote

HISTORICAL INSTANCES

Notices for removal were moved against:

• V. Mavalankar (1954)
• Sardar Hukam Singh (1966)
• Balram Jakhar (1987)
• Outcome: None were removed through the motion

MISCELLANEOUS

8. ALMATTI DAM

Current Context: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister recently objected to Karnataka’s proposal to increase the height of the Almatti Dam.

ABOUT ALMATTI DAM

• River: Krishna River
• Location: Karnataka
• Type: Multipurpose Dam
• Major Uses: Irrigation, Hydroelectric Power Generation, Flood Control
• Height:5 metres
• Length:5 kilometres
• Gross Storage Capacity:08 TMC at 519 metres Mean Sea Level
• Power Generation Capacity: 290 Megawatt Power Station
• Annual Electric Output: 713,000,000 kilowatts
• Turbine Technology: Vertical Kaplan Turbines

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