Prelims Current Affairs includes International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, Generational Ban on Tobacco, Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’, Swachh Survekshan 2025, QS Asia University Rankings 2026, Himachal Pradesh Wins “People First Integration Award”.

IMPORTANT DAY

1. INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOITATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN WAR AND ARMED CONFLICT

Observed every year on 06 November
Aim: To create awareness about protecting the environment during wars and armed conflicts.
Declared By: United Nations General Assembly

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

2. GENERATIONAL BAN ON TOBACCO

Current Context: Maldives has become the first country in the world to introduce a generational ban on tobacco.

ABOUT GENERATIONAL TOBACCO BAN

•  Permanently bans the sale of tobacco to individuals born after January 2007.
• These individuals can never purchase tobacco legally.

Purpose: To reduce tobacco addiction in future generations and protect youth from harmful health effects.

Global Tobacco Situation

• Users Worldwide: 1.3 billion people
• Countries With Most Users: Low and middle-income nations (about 80%)

Forms of Use: Cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, water pipe, heated tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, smokeless tobacco

Steps Taken Worldwide

• WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (2003)
• Party Nations: 183
• Actions include advertising bans, tax increases, warning labels, and controlling illicit trade.

HEALTH

3. TYPHOID CONJUGATE VACCINE (TCV)

Current Context: Bangladesh has become the eighth country to introduce the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine.

ABOUT TYPHOID CONJUGATE VACCINE(TCV) 

•  It is a single-dose injectable vaccine.
•  Provides protection against Salmonella Typhi.

Example: Typbar TCV by Bharat Biotech

ABOUT TYPHOID 

Cause: Bacterium Salmonella Typhi
Spread Through: Contaminated food and water
Symptoms: High fever, fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, or diarrhoea

POLICY AND PROGRAMME

4. ‘PINK SAHELI SMART CARD’

Current Context: Delhi government launched the ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’ for free travel by women and transgender commuters on DTC and cluster buses.

ABOUT THE SCHEME 

Eligibility: Women and transgender persons above 12 years
Benefit: Free digital pass for bus travel

Purpose:

• To support women’s mobility and safety
• To promote public transport usage
• To reduce pollution and congestion

RANKINGS

5. SWACHH SURVEKSHAN 2025

Current Context: Swachh Survekshan 2025 results highlight that smaller cities performed better than major metropolitan cities in cleanliness rankings.

Key Findings

• Dirtiest City: Madurai
• Other Poor Performers: Bengaluru (5th dirtiest), Chennai (3rd), Delhi (10th)
• Top Clean Cities: Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai (Super Swachh League category)

Reasons for Poor Ranking in Metros:

• Rapid urbanisation
• Weak waste disposal systems
• Public negligence towards hygiene

New Features in 2025 Survey

• Super Swachh League category
• Population-based assessment
• Tourist area cleanliness focus
• School-level assessment
• New indicators for project grounding and transformation

Facts to Remember:

• Madurai ranked worst
• Smaller cities like Raipur and Jabalpur performed better than metros

6. QS ASIA UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2026

Current Context: India recorded its highest ever representation with 294 universities in QS Asia Rankings 2026, but no Indian university reached the top 50.

Key Points

• Top Indian Institute: IIT Delhi (Rank 59) – dropped from 44
• Other IITs and IISc also dropped
• University of Hong Kong ranked first in Asia

Reasons for India’s Decline:

• Weak international student and faculty presence
• Strong competition from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia
• China has 395 institutions in ranking (highest in Asia)

Positive Points for India:

• Higher research output
• Support from National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
• Good performance by private and state universities

Top 10 Indian Institutions in QS Asia 2026 and Their Previous Ranks

Top 10 Asian Universities 2026

1. The University of Hong Kong
2. Peking University
3. National University of Singapore
4. Nanyang Technological University
5. Fudan University
6. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
7. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
8. City University of Hong Kong
9. Tsinghua University
10. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

HIMACHAL NEWS

7. HIMACHAL PRADESH WINS “PEOPLE FIRST INTEGRATION AWARD”

Current Context: Himachal Pradesh received the “People First Integration Award” for integrating 51 HIM Sewa services with DigiLocker during the National DigiLocker Conference 2025.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Presented by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
• Recognises: Excellence in citizen-centric digital service delivery

Highlights:

• Integration with HIM Pariwaar family database
• Ensures paperless access to government documents
• Improves transparency and efficiency
• Serves as a model for other states

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