Prelims Current Affairs includes World No Tobacco Day 2026, Supreme Court Recognises Trauma Care Under Article 21, International Yoga Day 2026 Event In Kolkata, Sample Registration System (Srs) Statistical Report 2024, Rusty-Spotted Cat Recorded In National Chambal Sanctuary, National Health Accounts (Nha) Estimates For India 2022-23, Two Indian Peacekeepers To Receive Un Honours, Himalayan Brown Bear Captured On Camera In Chamba’s Gamgul Sanctuary & Ghepang Glacial Lake In Lahaul-Spiti Poses Glof Risk

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2026

Current Context: World No Tobacco Day 2026 is observed on 31 May.

ABOUT THE DAY

• Created by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987.
• Aims to spread awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and promote policies to reduce tobacco consumption worldwide.
• Rising use of e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and synthetic nicotine products among adolescents.
• Theme 2026: “Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction”
• Campaign focus: Expose tobacco and nicotine industry’s evolving strategies including synthetic nicotine, nicotine salts, and analogues, advocate for stronger policy action to protect youth; prevent addiction and reduce demand

POLITY & GOVERNANCE

2.  SUPREME COURT RECOGNISES TRAUMA CARE UNDER ARTICLE 21

Current Context: The Supreme Court recognised access to trauma care as an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution and issued nationwide directions to strengthen emergency medical response systems.

KEY JUDGMENT

• Delivered in the case: SaveLIFE Foundation & Anr. vs Union of India & Ors.
• Supreme Court held that trauma care is a fundamental component of the Right to Life under Article 21.
• Judgment aimed at reducing preventable deaths caused by accidents and delayed emergency response.

MAJOR DIRECTIONS ISSUED BY THE COURT

• All emergency helplines (100, 101, 102, 108, 1033, 1091, etc.) to be integrated into a single emergency number – 112 within three months.
• States and UTs directed to establish a uniform trauma care framework.
• Mandatory compliance with National Ambulance Code and GPS-enabled ambulances.
• Creation of national and state trauma registries for better emergency data management.
• Good Samaritan measures: Physical and digital grievance redressal systems for Good Samaritans within three months
• PM RAHAT (Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025): States not adopted must operationalise within three months.

ABOUT PM RAHAT

• PM RAHAT 2025 aims to ensure quick and life-saving treatment for road accident victims without financial barriers.
• Implemented under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
• Linked with India’s road safety and emergency healthcare reforms.

POLITY

3. INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 2026 EVENT IN KOLKATA

Current Context: India will host the main International Day of Yoga 2026 event in Kolkata, West Bengal, on 21 June 2026.

ABOUT THE DAY

• Adopted by: United Nations General Assembly in 2014
• First observed: 21 June 2015
• Theme 2026: “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”
• Main event venue: Kolkata, West Bengal

ABOUT YOGA SANGAM PORTAL

• Yoga Sangam Portal is an online platform launched by the Ministry of AYUSH.
• Developed to facilitate participation in mass yoga demonstrations and events during the International Day of Yoga (IDY).
• Enables institutions and individuals to register yoga events across the country.

REPORTS

4. SAMPLE REGISTRATION SYSTEM (SRS) STATISTICAL REPORT 2024

Current Context: The Registrar General of India (RGI) released the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024.

ABOUT THE REPORT

• SRS is India’s largest demographic survey system for providing annual estimates of:
• Birth Rate
• Death Rate
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
• Maternal Mortality and other demographic indicators.
• Published by: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner
• Baseline framework: Census 2011 sampling frame
• Sample coverage: ~8.9 million individuals across 8,839 sample units

MAJOR FINDINGS OF SRS REPORT 2024

• India’s Total Fertility Rate remained near replacement level.
• Infant and maternal mortality indicators showed gradual improvement.
• Urban areas continued to show lower birth and death rates than rural areas.
• Southern states generally performed better on health and fertility indicators compared to some northern states.

Key findings:

About Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI)

• The Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI) is the nodal authority responsible for conducting the Census and managing demographic data in India.
• Established in 1961 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

ENVIRONMENT

5. RUSTY-SPOTTED CAT RECORDED IN NATIONAL CHAMBAL SANCTUARY

Current Context: The Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) was documented for the first time in the National Chambal Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.

ABOUT THE SPECIES

• Scientific name: Prionailurus rubiginosus
• Family: Felidae
• Status: One of the smallest wild cats in Asia
• Identification: Rusty-brown spots, short coat, small body size
• Location documented: National Chambal Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh) first confirmed presence in southern Uttar Pradesh
• Documented by: Wildlife Institute of India (WII) – based in Chandrabani, Dehradun

National Chambal Sanctuary:

• Tri-state protected area in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan along Chambal River known for gharials, mugger crocodiles, Gangetic river dolphins

ECONOMY

6. NATIONAL HEALTH ACCOUNTS (NHA) ESTIMATES FOR INDIA 2022-23

Current Context: Union Health Ministry released the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for 2022-23, marking the 10th edition in the series that began in 2013-14.

ABOUT THE REPORT

• Government Health Expenditure (GHE) as a share of GDP continued to rise, reflecting increased public investment in healthcare and welfare schemes.
• Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) continued to decline, indicating improved financial protection through government health programmes and insurance coverage.

Key highlights:

• Primary healthcare expenditure: More than doubled from ₹0.5 lakh crore (2013-14) to ₹1.4 lakh crore (2022-23)

ABOUT NATIONAL HEALTH ACCOUNTS (NHA)

• NHA is a system of accounting that measures expenditure on healthcare in a country.
• Prepared by the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Based on the internationally accepted System of Health Accounts (SHA) 2011 framework developed by WHO, OECD, and Eurostat.

INTERNATIONAL

7. TWO INDIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO RECEIVE UN HONOURS

Current Context: Two Indian peacekeepers will receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously.

ABOUT THE HONOURS

• Dag Hammarskjöld Medal: Posthumous award given by UN to military, police, and civilian personnel who die while serving in UN peacekeeping operations, named after second UN Secretary-General (died 1961)
• Recipients:
• Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh (MONUSCO – Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan (UNMISS – South Sudan)
• Ceremony date: 5 June 2026 at UN Headquarters, New York

About UN Peacekeeping

• UN Peacekeeping refers to operations conducted by the United Nations to maintain international peace and security in conflict-affected regions.
• Peacekeepers are often called “Blue Helmets” because of their distinctive UN blue headgear.
• First UN peacekeeping mission: UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) in 1948.

HIMACHAL NEWS

8. HIMALAYAN BROWN BEAR CAPTURED ON CAMERA IN CHAMBA’S GAMGUL SANCTUARY

Current Context: Forest officials in Chamba have captured the elusive Himalayan Brown Bear on camera for the first time inside the Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary.

ABOUT THE SIGHTING

• Species: Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus)
• Location: Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh
• Documented by: Forest Department during annual wildlife surveys in remote high-altitude forests

ABOUT HIMALAYAN BROWN BEAR

• Conservation status: Critically endangered on IUCN Red List
• Found in: Isolated high-altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand
• Known for: Shy nature, preference for remote mountain habitats
• Designated habitats in Himachal: Kugti and Tundah (Bharmour), Sechu Tuan Wildlife Sanctuaries (Pangi, Chamba)

ABOUT GAMGUL SIYABEHI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

• Location: Pir Panjal Himalayan range, Salooni subdivision, Chamba district
• Area: 108.40 sq km
• Elevation range: 1,800 to 3,900 metres
• Boundaries: Shares boundaries with Kathua and Doda regions of Jammu & Kashmir
• Name origin: Derived from “Hangul” (Kashmir stag), which once inhabited the sanctuary

HIMACHAL NEWS

9. GHEPANG GLACIAL LAKE IN LAHAUL-SPITI POSES GLOF RISK

Current Context: A study report by Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC-ISRO) has warned that Ghepang Ghat Lake in Lahaul-Spiti could cause a devastating Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).

ABOUT THE GHEPANG LAKE

• Ghepan (Ghephan) Lake is a glacial lake located in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Formed from melting of the Ghepan Glacier in the Himalayas.
• Situated at a high altitude in the Chenab River basin region.
• Type: Moraine-dammed glacial lake (formed behind a natural dam of stones, sand, and debris)
• Area (2022): 101.30 hectares (spread over more than 100 hectares)
• Depth: Approximately 50 metres
• Area (1989): 36.49 hectares
• Growth: Nearly three times increase in 33 years (36.49 to 101.30 hectares)
• Cause of expansion: Rising temperatures due to climate change, increased rainfall intensity in high-altitude areas

GLOF

• It is a sudden release of water from a glacial lake due to failure of natural barriers like ice or moraines.
• South Lhonak Lake GLOF in Sikkim (2023) caused severe flooding in the Teesta River basin.

CURRENT MEASURES

• Early Warning System (EWS) established (currently in pilot/testing phase)
• Sissu and surrounding villages experiencing rapid tourism growth (5,000-8,000 vehicles per day during tourist season)
• Ghepan Goh Peak
• Most prominent peak near Ghepan Lake.
• Height: Around 5,870 m.
• Dominates the Chandra Valley and Ghepan trek region.

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