UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 10-03-2026

One Liners 10-03-2026

Geography

Dzukou Valley

• It is Known as the “Valley of Flowers”.

• Located at – Nagaland–Manipur border.

• Altitude – 2,438 metres, behind the Japfu mountain range.

• Adjacent to – Pulie Badze Wildlife Sanctuary (Nagaland).

• Biodiversity

  • Rare and vulnerable birds – Blyth’s Tragopan (Nagaland’s state bird), Rufous-necked Hornbill, Dark-rumped Swift.

  • Endangered species – Western Hoolock Gibbons.

  • Vegetation – Bamboo, grasses, and endemic Dzukou Lily (Lilium chitrangada).

  • Home to – Angami people.

Social Issues

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on denial of access to public spaces for SC/ST communities

• Highlights (NCRB 2023)

  • Total cases nationwide – 180.

  • Uttar Pradesh – 173 cases (dominant share).

  • U.P.’s share has been consistently high

    • 300 out of 305 cases in 2022.

    • 68% in 2018.

    • 80% in 2019.

• NCRB Classification

  • Crime category introduced in 2017 under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

  • New columns added to classify crimes such as “Prevent or deny or obstruct usage of public place/passage.”

  • In 2017, U.P. reported zero cases in this category but 57 cases under “SC persons forced to leave residence or facing social boycott.”

Polity & Governance

          Safeguards for SCs and STs

• Constitutional Provisions

  • Article 15 – Prohibition of discrimination.

  • Article 17 – Abolition of untouchability.

  • Article 46 – Promotion of educational and economic interests.

  • Articles 330, 332, 335 – Political representation and services.

  • Articles 338, 338A – National Commissions for SCs and STs.

PM-DAKSH Scheme

• PM-DAKSH – Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalata Sampanna Hitgrahi Yojana.

• It is a Central Sector Scheme.

• Launched during – 2020-21.

• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Social Justice & Empowermwent.

• Objective – To provide high quality skills through good quality institutions so that the training can result in finding jobs or self-employment ventures for the target group.

• Types of Trainings

  • Up-skilling/Reskilling

  • Short Term Training

  • Entrepreneurship Development Programme

• Target Group – SCs, OBCs, EWSs, DNTs Safai Karamcharis including waste pickers etc.

• Age Criterion – 18-45 years.

• Income Criteria

  • SCs, Safai Karamcharis Including waste picker and DNT – No Income limit.

  • OBCs and EWSs – Annual income family below Rs.3 lakh.

• Cost of the training to trainees – Free of cost.

Environment

Orcas – Mother Nature & Boss Ladies

• It also called killer whales.

  • Largest members of the dolphin family.

  • Earth’s largest predator.

• Found in – Every ocean.

• Matrilineal society – They live in close-knit groups led by mothers, with leadership passed down to daughters.

• Knowledge transfer – Female orcas teach their young about food sources and social behaviours.

• Survival strategy – This cultural transmission helps them adapt to the Anthropocene.

• Threats – Orcas face marine pollution, overfishing, and disrupted echolocation due to noisy shipping zones.

Deinococcus radiodurans

• A bacterium famous for surviving extreme radiation and dryness.

• New Finding – It can withstand intense pressures (14,000–24,000 Earth atmospheres), similar to being blasted off a planet’s surface.

• Survival Mechanism – Genetic analysis shows survivors rely on:

  • DNA repair systems.

  • Iron transport for recovery.

• Implications

  • It supports the panspermia hypothesis.

  • It expands the scope of the search for extraterrestrial life.

Key Concepts behind Deinococcus Radiodurans

• Extremophiles –

  • Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in extreme environments (e.g., hydrothermal vents, high pressure, high temperature).

  • Applications – Potential use in genetically based medicines, industrial chemicals, and processes.

  • Perspective – “Extreme” is relative—conditions hostile to humans (like no oxygen) can be normal for some organisms.

• Panspermia Hypothesis – Life distributed across the universe via meteoroids, asteroids, planetoids.

Security

11^th Edition of Exercise LAMITIYE – 2026

• Joint Military Exercise between – Indian Armed Forces and Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF).

• ‘LAMITIYE’ meaning ‘Friendship’ in the Creole language is a biennial training event.

• Conducted in – Seychelles since 2001.

• Participants – All three services of the Indian Armed Forces.

  • Personnel from the ASSAM Regiment and Indian Navy and IAF including INS Trikand and a C-130 aircraft.

• Aim – To enhance synergy in the domains of Sub-conventional Operations in Semi-Urban environment and cooperation and interoperability between both the sides during Peace Keeping Operations.

Science

THAAD

• It is an advanced U.S. missile defence platform designed to counter ballistic missile threats.

• Capabilities

  • Intercepts missiles in the terminal (final) stage of flight.

  • Destroys threats inside and outside Earth’s atmosphere.

  • Defends against short, medium, and limited intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

  • Effective at ranges of 150–200 km, at high altitude.

• Hit-to-Kill" Technology

  • Interceptors destroy targets by direct collision at high speed.

  • Uses kinetic energy, not explosives.

  • Improves precision and reduces debris risk.

• Key Components

  • Interceptors – kinetic impact destroyers.

  • Truck-mounted launchers – mobile deployment.

  • AN/TPY-2 radar – long-range detection and tracking.

  • Fire control & communications unit – tactical coordination.

• International buyers – UAE (2011), Saudi Arabia.

WHO Malaria-Free Certification

Recently, the International Malaria Conference 2026 concluded in New Delhi after three days of scientific deliberations and global engagement on malaria elimination.

• Malaria-Free Certification – Granted when local transmission is interrupted for 3 consecutive years with a functional surveillance system.

• Global Status – 47 countries/territories certified malaria-free (mid-2025).

  • Examples – Sri Lanka (2016), China (2021), Algeria (2019), Paraguay (2018).

• Note – World Malaria Day observed globally every year on 25th April.