Prelims Current Affairs includes Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty – Press Club of India, Poojya Bapu Grameen Rozgar Yojana, Shilp Guru & National Handicrafts Awards (2023–24), Golden Globe Horizon Award, Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS), BlueBird-6 Satellite, Preah Vihear Temple, Sangla Valley.

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. VEERANGANA DURGAVATI TIGER RESERVE

Current Context: Madhya Pradesh has approved the development of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve as a new cheetah habitat.

ABOUT THE RESERVE

• Location: Nauradehi, Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh
• Status: Cabinet-approved cheetah habitat
• Objective: Expand cheetah range and population

CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION IN INDIA

• Kuno National Park (2022): 28 cheetahs
• Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (2025): 2 cheetahs
• Upcoming: 8 cheetahs from Botswana (January 2026)
• Veerangana Durgavati will become India’s third cheetah habitat

PERSON IN NEWS

2. SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY — PRESS CLUB OF INDIA

Current Context: Senior journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty has been elected as the first woman President of the Press Club of India.

ABOUT PRESS CLUB OF INDIA

• Established: 1958
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Nature: Professional body of journalists and media persons

OBJECTIVES

• Safeguard freedom of the press
• Promote ethical journalism
• Provide a platform for dialogue between media and policymakers

POLICY AND PROGRAMME

3. POOJYA BAPU GRAMEEN ROZGAR YOJANA

Current Context: The Union Cabinet approved a Bill to rename MGNREGA as Poojya Bapu Grameen Rozgar Yojana and increase guaranteed employment.

KEY CABINET DECISIONS

• MGNREGS renamed as Poojya Bapu Grameen Rozgar Yojana
• Guaranteed employment increased to 125 days per household per year
• Amendment approved to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005
• Formal notification awaited

BACKGROUND: NREGA → MGNREGA

• Enacted: 25 August 2005
• Provides legal guarantee of wage employment to rural households

OBJECTIVES

• Enhance rural purchasing power
• Provide livelihood security
• Reduce rural poverty and distress
• Create durable community assets

2009: Renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act / Scheme

AWARDS

4. SHILP GURU & NATIONAL HANDICRAFTS AWARDS (2023–24)

Current Context: The President of India presented the awards during National Handicrafts Week 2025 (8–14 December) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

ABOUT THE AWARDS

National Handicrafts Awards

• Started in 1965
• Honour exceptional craftsmanship and cultural heritage

Shilp Guru Awards

• Introduced in 2002
• Highest national honour for master artisans

AWARDS DISTRIBUTION (2023–24)

Total Awards: 48

• 12 Shilp Guru Awards
• 36 National Handicrafts Awards
• 2 Design & Innovation Awards (artisan–designer collaboration)

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN HANDICRAFTS

• 20 women awardees
• Women constitute 68% of India’s handicrafts workforce
• Sector supports over 3.2 million jobs nationwide

CRAFTS RECOGNISED

• Metalwork and woodwork
• Hand-printed textiles
• Pattachitra painting
• Leather puppetry
• Terracotta and stone carving
• Carpets and cane-and-bamboo crafts

5. GOLDEN GLOBE HORIZON AWARD

Current Context: Actor Alia Bhatt received the Golden Globe Horizon Award at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Jeddah.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Newly introduced special honour associated with the Golden Globes
• Not a competitive category like Best Actor or Best Film
• Curated recognition for artists with expanding international presence

PURPOSE

• Recognises an “emerging creative force” in global storytelling
• Focus on talent from Asia, Middle East, Africa, and emerging markets

LINK WITH RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

• Launched in partnership with RSFF, Jeddah
• Promotes new voices and global cinema collaboration

DEFENCE

6. MAN-PORTABLE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS (MANPADS)

Current Context: Indian Army is repurposing MANPADS to counter sub-sonic cruise missiles.

ABOUT MANPADS

• Portable surface-to-air missile systems
• Shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles
• Length: < 2 metres
• Weight: ~20 kg

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• First deployed in the 1960s
  1. Redeye (USA)
  2. Strela (Soviet Union)

GLOBAL STATUS

• Used by armed forces of ~105 countries
• Only 12 countries, including India, manufacture MANPADS

TYPES

• Command Line-of-Sight
• Laser-Guided
• Infrared Seekers (most common)

MAIN COMPONENTS

• Missile tube
• Launch mechanism (gripstock)
• Battery unit

SPACE

7. BLUEBIRD-6 SATELLITE

Current Context: ISRO will launch BlueBird-6 of AST SpaceMobile on 21 December 2025 using LVM-3.

ABOUT THE SATELLITE

• Purpose: Direct-to-device broadband without cell towers
• Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
• Weight: ~6.5 tonnes (one of ISRO’s heaviest launches)

KEY TECHNOLOGY

• One of the largest phased-array antennas ever flown
• Antenna Area: ~2,400 sq ft
• Enables direct communication with standard mobile phones

HISTORY

8. PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE

Current Context: India called for protection of Preah Vihear Temple amid Thailand–Cambodia border tensions.

ABOUT THE TEMPLE

• Location: Preah Vihear Province, northern Cambodia
• Setting: Cliff-top in Dangrek Mountain range
• Religion: Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
• Period: 11th–12th century (Khmer Empire)

BUILDERS

• King Suryavarman I
• King Suryavarman II

UNESCO: World Heritage Site

ARCHITECTURE

• Masterpiece of Khmer architecture
• Series of sanctuaries linked by stairways
• Built along an 800-metre axis
• Multi-tiered platforms and gopuras

HIMACHAL PRADESH

9. SANGLA VALLEY

Current Context: Tree-ring studies show climate shift in Sangla Valley after 1757.

ABOUT SANGLA VALLEY

• Located in Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh
• Also known as Baspa Valley
• Known for apple orchards and Kinnauri villages

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE

• Large deodar forests
• Tree-ring studies indicate:
  1. Wetter climate in ancient times
  2. Gradual shift to drier conditions after 1757

NAME & CULTURE

• “Sangla” means Pass of Light (Tibetan origin)
• Blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions

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