Prelims Focus 15th July 2026

15/07/2026

39 4 minutes read

Paizhen Fault

In News: The Paizhen Fault is an issue of concern with Chinese geologists in respect of the structural stability of China’s hydropower plant on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river in Tibet.

Paizhen Fault is one of a system of tectonic faults in the eastern Himalayan region formed due to collision of Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
It is situated in the reservoir zone of the hydropower station at the downstream of Yarlung Tsangpo.
It has been active since the Early Pleistocene and is very active in the present Holocene epoch.
Age determinations of ancient lake sediments indicate that the fault was still active as late as 9,500 years ago.

Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)

In News: Through the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) absorbed 1.67 lakh crore rupees.

Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) is a tool with RBI for liquidity management to suck out excess liquidity from the banking system and to control inflation.
It allows banks to safely deposit their excess funds with the RBI without having to post any collateral, thereby strengthening the implementation of monetary policy and financial stability.
As per SDF, the eligible entities are allowed to deposit with the RBI on overnight basis.
However, the RBI can use the SDF to absorb liquidity for longer tenors at appropriate prices as and when required.
It is on offer all year round along with the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF).

Eärendil-1

In News: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted permission for the launch and testing of a satellite called Eärendil-1 by a company known as Reflect Orbital.

Eärendil-1 is named after a figure in Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Silmarillion.
It will be a single satellite in a non-geostationary orbit fitted with a “deployable, highly specular thin-film reflector”.
The reflector will be motorised and orientable to various angles.
The satellite’s orbit will be approximately 625 km in altitude and have a high inclination of approximately 88°.
It is used for reflecting sunlight to the designated areas of the Earth at night.
It plans to employ this tech to extend solar panel usage time and to illuminate “critical operations” such as emergency missions, humanitarian work, etc.
The FCC has given them a limited two-year license for the test.
The project has uncovered issues of light pollution, ownership of reflected energy and of orbital debris.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

In News: According to the study, almost 81 per cent of sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from coal plants within a 300-km radius of Delhi-NCR are from pollution-free coal plants.

Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas that has a strong and choking odour.
It is generated when fuel with sulphur is burned, and is one of the earliest pollutants monitored by regulators, since the London Coal-smoke smogs.
The single biggest source in India is coal-fired thermal power plants. Oil refineries and metal smelting units (especially copper and zinc smelters) add to the load.
The health concerns associated with SO2 include the formation of sulphate particles in the atmosphere which are a part of PM2.5, and sulphuric acid.
Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) is a system that takes the SO2 out of emissions of the coal plant with the help of limestone slurry, leaving gypsum as a by-product.

Global Liveability Index 2026

In News: The Global Liveability Index 2026 has been released by The Economist Intelligence Unit.

The EIU, the research and analysis unit of The Economist Group, publishes the index once a year and ranks 173 cities on 30 indicators.
They are divided into five categories: Stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Copenhagen (Den Denmark) again occupies the No. 1 spot in the list of the world’s most liveable cities, ahead of Vienna (Austria) and Melbourne (Australia) in second and third place respectively.
New Delhi is ranked 120, followed by Mumbai (121), Chennai (123), and Bengaluru (127).
Western Europe remains the top region for liveability, and scores have been flat in the region, while scores have increased in Asia.
Karachi remained at 170th place for the second year in a row, Dhaka scored steady at 171st, while the least liveable city, Damascus (Syria), is still in the same position for the second year in a row.

NIDAR 2.0: National Innovation Challenge

In News: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with the Drone Federation of India (DFI), officially launched the second edition of the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR 2.0, 2026-27) under the SwaYaan initiative on 13 July 2026.

About the Initiative

Nodal Bodies: Launched by MeitY and Drone Federation India.
Flagship: Part of the larger SwaYaan Capacity Building initiative for unmanned systems.

Key Objectives & Features

Indigenous Focus: Tasks students to build the “brains” of drones using India’s homegrown VEGA processor.
Tracks: Focuses on both Drone Innovation (autonomous swarm missions in disaster zones) and Component Innovation (developing indigenous flight controllers).

Significance

Atmanirbhar Bharat: Reduces reliance on foreign chip designs and lowers licensing costs.

Debrigarh-gaur National Park

In News:Odisha is sending a proposal to the Centre to elevate Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary to “Debrigarh-gaur National Park”.

Highlights

Status: Proposed as Odisha’s third national park.
Key Species: Named for its high density of Indian gaur.
No Encroachment: It has zero internal human settlements, allowing undisturbed wildlife habitation.

Geographical & Ecological Importance

Location: Situated on the Barapahad hills in Bargarh district.
Catchment: Serves as a crucial catchment for the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River.
Connectivity: Connects central and eastern Indian forests, linking with reserves in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.