Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps Common name: Godawan. Conservation status: Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Habitat: Grasslands and open, arid and semi-arid landscapes. Distribution: Mainly Rajasthan, with small populations in Gujarat and other parts of its historical range. State bird: Rajasthan. Major habitat: Desert National Park, Rajasthan. Ecological importance: A flagship species of India's…
UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 12 October 2026
UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 12 October 2026 brings together the news items of the day that map to the Prelims syllabus — polity, economy, environment, science and technology, and international relations. Each item is written as a factual pointer you can revise quickly, with the static-syllabus link made explicit so the reading feeds directly into your Prelims notes.
4 articles
Katchatheevu Island
Location: A small, uninhabited island in the Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka. Indian coast: Located northeast of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Sri Lankan coast: Lies southwest of Delft Island, Sri Lanka. Nearby water body: Palk Strait, which separates India and Sri Lanka. Important landmark: St. Anthony’s Church, a Catholic shrine visited by pilgrims from…
TRISHNA Satellite
Full Form: Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment. Mission: TRISHNA is an Earth-observation satellite mission developed through cooperation between ISRO (India) and CNES (France). Primary Objective: To monitor the Earth’s surface temperature and study water and energy exchanges between the land surface and atmosphere. Key Focus Areas: Monitoring evapotranspiration and water stress…
Ranavirus
Ranavirus is a pathogen belonging to the family Iridoviridae. Affected animals: It infects amphibians, reptiles and fish. Transmission: It can spread through direct contact with infected animals, contaminated water and environmental materials. Impact on amphibians: It can cause severe disease and mass mortality in frogs, toads and salamanders. Symptoms: Depending on the species, infection may…
Ravi Raaz
Hassan Khan
Shadab Ali