Prelims Current Affairs includes World Jellyfish Day, Leprosy, Sambhar Lake, Know Your Vehicle (KYV) – NHAI Initiative, National Marine Fisheries Census 2025, Kunming Biodiversity Fund, Lucknow – UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2025.

IMPORTANT DAY

1. WORLD JELLYFISH DAY

Celebrated annually on: November 3rd
Aim: To raise awareness about the importance of jellyfish in marine ecosystems and to highlight their ecological, research, and cultural significance.
First Observed: 2014
Note: The day coincides with spring in the Southern Hemisphere, when jellyfish begin migrating toward the shores of the Northern Hemisphere.

HEALTH

2. LEPROSY

Current Context: The Maharashtra government has officially declared Leprosy as a “notifiable disease” under the Public Health Act.

ABOUT LEPROSY

Causative Agent: Mycobacterium leprae
Also Known As: Hansen’s Disease
Type: Infectious & Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD)
Affected Areas: Skin, peripheral nerves, eyes, and other organs
Global Occurrence: Still found in 120+ countries with about 2 lakh new cases reported annually.
In India: Declared notifiable in 2005 under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

TRANSMISSION

• Spread through droplets from nose and mouth of untreated patients after prolonged close contact.
• Not spread by casual contact such as shaking hands, hugging, or sharing meals.
• Becomes non-infectious after treatment begins.

GEOGRAPHY

3. SAMBHAR LAKE

Current Context: Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan, has recorded a 40% increase in migratory bird arrivals this winter compared to last year.

ABOUT SAMBHAR LAKE

Location: Nagaur and Jaipur districts, Rajasthan
Type: Largest saltwater lake in India
Shape: Elliptical (35.5 km long; 3–11 km wide)
Area: Over 200 sq. km, surrounded by Aravalli Hills
Inflow: Fed by ephemeral streams Mendha and Runpangarh, along with surface runoff
Ramsar Site: Designated in 1990
Economic Importance: Major salt production centre in India

POLICY AND PROGRAMME

4. KNOW YOUR VEHICLE (KYV) – NHAI INITIATIVE

Current Context: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has simplified the Know Your Vehicle (KYV) process for FASTag users.

ABOUT KYV

Purpose: To ensure each FASTag is linked correctly to its vehicle, preventing fraud and mislinking.
Introduced By: NHAI in coordination with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2024.
Re-verification: Every 3 years for all FASTag users.

OBJECTIVES

• Enforce ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ policy.
• Prevent misuse and fake tagging.
• Ensure smooth toll transactions.

ABOUT FASTag

Technology: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Purpose: Enables cashless toll payments directly from linked bank accounts
Type: Vehicle-specific; non-transferable between vehicles
Availability: Through NETC Member Banks

MISC

5. NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES CENSUS 2025

Current Context: The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the National Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025.

ABOUT THE CENSUS

Edition: 5th
Funding: Fully funded by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India
Nodal Agency: ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
Operational Partner: Fishery Survey of India (FSI)
Coverage: 13 Coastal States and Union Territories (including A&N Islands and Lakshadweep)

FEATURES

• Duration: 45 days of household data collection
• Digital Tools: Multilingual Android apps – VyAS-NAV, VyAS-BHARAT, VyAS-SUTRA
• Data Collected: Family income, housing, credit, insurance, COVID-19 impact
• New Additions: Mapping of FFPOs and SHGs for collective value chain strengthening

ENVIRONMENT

6. KUNMING BIODIVERSITY FUND

Current Context: Seven countries have received USD 5.8 million from the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support eco-friendly agriculture.

ABOUT THE FUND

Type: Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF)
Launched: 2021 during COP 15 (Part I) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Initial Contribution: 1.5 billion yuan (~USD 200 million) by China
Administered By:

• Ministry of Ecology & Environment, China
• UNEP, SCBD, and UNDP

OBJECTIVE

• To facilitate implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)
• To assist developing nations in executing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)

ABOUT KMGBF

Adopted: December 2022 at COP-15, Montreal
Goal: Living in harmony with nature by 2050
Targets: 23 for 2030 and 4 global goals for 2050

MISC

7. LUCKNOW – UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF GASTRONOMY

Current Context: At the 43rd UNESCO General Conference, Lucknow has been designated as a Creative City of Gastronomy under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

ABOUT UCCN

Established: 2004 by UNESCO
Objective: To promote creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development
Creative Fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music, Media Arts

Indian Cities in UCCN:

• Lucknow, Hyderabad (Gastronomy)
• Gwalior, Chennai (Music)
• Jaipur (Crafts & Folk Art)

SUMMIT

8. ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC) SUMMIT 2025

Current Context: The APEC 2025 Summit was held in Gyeongju, South Korea, focusing on regional economic integration and free trade.

ABOUT APEC

Founded: 1989
Secretariat: Singapore
Members: 21 Economies (e.g., USA, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, etc.)
India: Not a member (Observer Status)

Objective:

• To promote free and open trade and investment
• To build a harmonious Asia-Pacific community through cooperation and integration

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