Prelims Focus 14th May 2026

The Restoration of Kakatiya’s Thousand Pillar Temple

In News: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed a massive 42-year restoration of the Kalyana Mandapam (dance pavilion) at the 12th-century Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda, Telangana. The project involved dismantling and rebuilding the structure piece-by-piece using traditional Kakatiya-era sandbox technology.

Key Details About the Thousand Pillar Temple (Rudreswara Swamy Temple):

• Location: Hanamkonda, part of the Warangal City in Telangana, India.Origin: Commissioned in 1163 AD by King Rudra Deva of the Kakatiya Dynasty.
• Architecture: Known as a Trikutalaya, it is a temple complex dedicated to three deities: Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya Deva.
• Style: It showcases a combination of Chalukyan and Kakatiya architectural styles, built on a star-shaped (stellate) platform.
• Key Features:
• Kalyana Mandapam: A highly carved dancing hall supported by 132 pillars, which was the focus of the recent restoration.
• Monolithic Nandi: A huge Nandi sculpture carved from a single piece of black basalt stone.

Pro-tem Speaker

In News: As of May 2026, newly elected state assemblies are appointing pro tem speakers to manage oath-taking and elect permanent speakers. In Tamil Nadu, TVK MLA Karuppiah M.V. was sworn in as Pro-tem Speaker on May 10, 2026. In West Bengal, BJP MLA Tapas Roy was sworn in as pro tem speaker on May 12, 2026, leading up to assembly proceedings on May 13-15, 2026.

Key Aspects of a Pro-tem Speaker:

• Appointment: Appointed by the President (for Lok Sabha) or Governor (for State Assembly), usually by convention, the member with the most years of experience.
• Duties:
  • Preside over the first sitting of a newly elected house.
  • Administer the oath of office to newly elected members (MPs/MLAs).
  • Conduct the election of the permanent Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
• Duration: The office is temporary and ceases to exist as soon as a new permanent Speaker is elected.
• Constitution: The term “Pro-tem Speaker” is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution of India, but the appointment is made under constitutional convention and powers derived from Articles 95(1) and 180(1).
• Powers: While in office, they hold all the powers of a regular Speaker.

Scramjet Engine

In News: Driven by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), a comprehensive and prolonged test of an Actively Cooled Full Scale Scramjet Combustor was tested successfully in Hyderabad.

• This test was performed in the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility.
• It had a runtime of over 1,200 seconds compared to the previous test in January 2026 which had a runtime of 700 seconds.
• What is a ‘Scramjet Engine’?
  • A Scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet) is a new advanced air breath propulsion system developed for hypersonic speed.
  • Compresses the air flow brought into the combustion zone at high speed, thereby enabling the burning of fuel in supersonic air flow. Burns in the atmosphere at oxygen level available in the atmosphere.

Speedy Trial a ‘Human Right’

In News: In a criminal case that had been pending before the Uttar Pradesh courts for almost three and a half decades, the Supreme Court of India in January remarked that the ‘right to speedy trial’ is not just a constitutional right enshrined in Article 21, but also a human right.

• The ultimate right to life is guaranteed in the Indian constitution under Article 21.
• Article 21 is the provision that guarantees right to the protection of life and personal liberty, except as provided by the procedure established by the law.
• Judicial imagination has extended Article 21 to cover the concepts of fairness of the trial, legal aid, humane conditions of the prisons, speedy justice.
• Judicial Evolution
  • In Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar, the Supreme Court upheld speedy trial as a fundamental right as per Article 21. The case brought to the fore the grievances of those who were in jail without charges for many years.
  • In A.R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak, the Court had prescribed the principles to determine if the right to the speedy trial is violated. It also made it clear that the failure to timely implement the system is also a deprivation of constitutional rights.

National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026

In News: The Presidential Award bearing the name of Florence Nightingale was given to the Nurses at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2026.

• It was established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in the name of Florence Nightingale who is the founder of modern nursing in 1973.
• It recognises the contribution to society by nurses and nursing practitioner good services provided.
• A total of 15 awards are given in the category of Registered Auxiliary Nurses & Midwife, Registered Nurses and Midwife and Registered Lady Visitor. 
• Eligibility is for all the nursing staff’s in hospitals as well as in the community, educational institutions, administration in Central/State Governments and Voluntary Organizations.
• For each award a Certificate of Merit, Cash Award of Rs.1,00,000/- and a medal are awarded for each award.

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