Prelims General Studies Paper I

A cluster of Asiatic lion deaths in Gujarat's Gir landscape in late May 2026, linked to the suspected tick-borne disease Babesiosis, has revived the debate on whether India's only wild lion population is dangerously vulnerable. This article explains Babesiosis and Canine Distemper Virus, the single-population and genetic-bottleneck risk, the 2025 lion census, Project Lion, the stalled Kuno translocation, and the full conservation, legal and international framework for the Asiatic Lion.

The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets from 3 to 5 June 2026, with most economists expecting the repo rate to be held at 5.25% for a third straight time even as the West Asia conflict, rising crude oil prices, a weak rupee and foreign capital outflows push up inflation risks. This article explains the RBI's monetary policy framework, the repo rate, flexible inflation targeting, the MPC, the growth-versus-inflation trade-off, and how a global oil shock transmits to India's economy — everything an aspirant needs for Prelims and Mains.

UN-Habitat has released the World Cities Report 2026, "The Global Housing Crisis: Pathways to Action", at the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, warning that 3.4 billion people now lack adequate housing and that financialisation is a key driver of unaffordability. This article explains the report's findings, the meaning and measurement of housing affordability, the concept of financialisation, India's specific data, the constitutional right to shelter, and schemes like PMAY.

Amid the 2026 West Asia conflict and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, global crude prices have surged sharply. A steep fall in China's oil imports has unexpectedly freed up non-Hormuz supplies for India and other Asian buyers, cushioning the shock. This article explains the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, India's oil import dependency, the impact of high oil prices on the current account deficit and inflation, India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves, and the government's energy security response — fully explained for UPSC Prelims and Mains.

The Maharashtra government has exempted a large iron-ore mining and processing project in Gadchiroli from wildlife clearance, stating the site does not fall in any tiger corridor — a claim that official maps and the NTCA-approved Tiger Conservation Plan appear to contradict. The project, involving diversion of 9.4 sq km of forest land by Lloyds Metals & Energy, overlaps the ecologically vital Tadoba–Indravati tiger corridor. This article explains what a tiger corridor is, the legal framework under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Section 38-O), Project Tiger, NTCA, the difference between forest, wildlife and environmental clearances, the role of the Forest Rights Act and PESA, and the development-versus-conservation debate this case raises.

The Supreme Court has invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to crack down on rampant illegal sand mining inside the tri-state National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, pulling up Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for "casual and indolent" inaction after two forest guards were killed in 2026. This in-depth explainer covers the Chambal sanctuary's unique ecology, the critically endangered gharial, India's sand-mining laws (MMDR Act, Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines), the Deepak Kumar verdict, denotification controversies, and the constitutional principles of environmental governance — everything a UPSC aspirant needs in one place. Why in News The Supreme Court of India is hearing a suo motu case on large-scale illegal sand mining inside and around the National Chambal (Gharial) Sanctuary, a riverine protected area shared by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In a series of strongly worded orders through April and May 2026, the Court has rebuked the three state governments for administrative apathy, linked their inaction to the killing of frontline forest staff, and invoked Article 142 of the Constitution to issue sweeping enforcement directions. The case has brought national attention to sand mining as an environmental and rule-of-law crisis, and to the survival of the critically endangered gharial, whose last major wild stronghold is the Chambal.

A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the WHO, with cross-border spread to Uganda. With no licensed vaccine or treatment for this strain, and an Indian-linked candidate vaccine in the pipeline, India has activated airport screening and surveillance. This article explains the virus, the PHEIC and IHR (2005) framework, the One Health approach, the vaccine gap, and India's epidemic-preparedness machinery.

Ahead of the RBI Monetary Policy Committee meeting (June 3–5, 2026) and amid a crude-oil spike triggered by the West Asia conflict, economists have flagged a key gap: policymakers target the inflation rate, but households experience affordability — whether incomes outpace the cumulative rise in prices. This article explains the difference between inflation and affordability, India's Flexible Inflation Targeting framework, CPI measurement, real vs nominal wages, PLFS worker data, and how RBI's tools work.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), with WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visiting the epicentre as cases crossed 900 and deaths mounted. Because no vaccine or treatment is approved for the Bundibugyo strain, the Serum Institute of India (SII), with Oxford University and CEPI, is fast-tracking a ChAdOx1 vaccine. This article explains the Ebola virus and its strains, the PHEIC mechanism under the International Health Regulations (2005), the vaccine race, India's role in global vaccine security, and the One Health link — all from a UPSC Prelims and Mains perspective.

The Reserve Bank of India released its Annual Report for 2025-26 on 29 May 2026, projecting India's real GDP growth at 6.9% for FY27 while flagging the West Asia conflict, elevated crude prices and supply disruptions as near-term headwinds to growth and inflation. The report also announced a record ₹2.86 lakh crore surplus transfer to the Centre, a 20.6% jump in the RBI balance sheet, a sharp rise in bank fraud amounts to ₹48,021 crore, and proposed new digital-payment safeguards including a "kill switch." This article explains the RBI Annual Report's statutory basis, the Economic Capital Framework and surplus transfer mechanism, monetary policy and inflation targeting, forex reserve management, bank-fraud classification, and digital-payment security — everything an aspirant needs for Prelims and Mains.

India hosted the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, on 26 May 2026, chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with the foreign ministers of the United States, Australia and Japan. The meeting produced concrete deliverables — a maritime surveillance initiative, a critical minerals framework, an energy security initiative and the Quad's first joint infrastructure project (a port in Fiji). This article explains what the Quad is, the Indo-Pacific concept, the grouping's full history and evolution, the 2026 outcomes, each member's strategic objectives, China's opposition, related architectures like AUKUS, Malabar and IPEF, and the way ahead.

On 23 May 2026, Punjab sprinter Gurindervir Singh rewrote Indian athletics history by clocking 10.09 seconds in the men's 100m final at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition (Federation Cup) 2026 held at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Ranchi. He became the first Indian male sprinter to breach the 10.10-second barrier, qualifying for the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. This article explains the science of the 100m sprint, the four-phase race strategy used by Gurindervir, the historical evolution of Indian sprinting, and the role of government schemes like Khelo India and TOPS in nurturing elite athletes.