Prelims Focus 18th April 2026

18/04/2026

23 3 minutes read

Shahtoosh

In News: A Delhi court on March 12, 2026, sentenced Jaipur art gallery owner Syed Shahid Ahmed Kashani to three years imprisonment and a ₹50,000 fine for the illegal export of 1,290 Shahtoosh shawls. The 17-year legal battle, involving a 2008 seizure at IGI Airport, confirmed the shawls were made from the hair of the critically endangered Tibetan Antelope (Chiru), listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Key Details of the Case:

Accused: Syed Shahid Ahmed Kashani, proprietor of Indian Art Gallery, Jaipur.
Conviction: Three years simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000.
Investigation: Conducted by CBI’s Economic Offences Unit-V (EOU-V) following a 2009 complaint by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
Forensic Evidence: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) confirmed the contraband was manufactured from the underfur of the Tibetan Antelope (Chiru).
Legal Violation: The trade violates the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and is globally prohibited under CITES (1975).

What is Shahtoosh?

Source: The fine underfur of the Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), which is hunted, not sheared, for the material.
Ban: The species is critically endangered and protected, making any trade illegal in India and globally.
Comparison: Unlike Pashmina, which is made from cashmere goat hair and is legal, Shahtoosh is prohibited.

World Haemophilia Day 2026

In News: World Haemophilia Day 2026, observed on April 17, focuses on the theme “Diagnosis: First Step to Care”. This theme highlights a critical global gap, as the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) estimates that over 75% of people living with inherited bleeding disorders worldwide remain undiagnosed and untreated.

Core Objectives of the 2026 Campaign

Strengthening Diagnostic Skills: Training healthcare professionals to better recognize and identify signs of bleeding disorders.
Enhancing Lab Capabilities: Improving global laboratory infrastructure to provide accurate and accessible factor testing.
Encouraging Early Screening: Promoting proactive testing, especially for high-risk individuals and those with a family history.

Key Facts About Haemophilia

Definition: A rare, typically inherited genetic disorder where blood does not clot properly due to a lack of specific clotting proteins.
Main Types:
- Haemophilia A: Deficiency of clotting Factor VIII; it is the most common form.
- Haemophilia B: Deficiency of clotting Factor IX, also known as Christmas Disease.
Gender and Genetics: The condition predominantly affects males because the relevant genes are located on the X chromosome. Females are usually carriers but can also experience symptoms, particularly heavy menstrual bleeding.
Prevalence: It is estimated that over 1.1 million people worldwide live with haemophilia.

Ghaggar River

In News: There are increasing cases of cancer along the Ghaggar River which are associated with polluted water, yet there is a lack of data and insufficient healthcare to take any action.

The Ghaggar River is an intermittent monsoon-fed river in northern India.
It has its origin in the village of Dagshai in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh some 1,927 metres and passes through Punjab and Haryana into Rajasthan.
Its largest tributaries are the Kaushalya, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri, and Chautang rivers.

AZEC Plus and Maritime Security

In News: Raising concerns at the AZEC Plus meeting, India had been worried about disruptions in sea energy pathways at the Strait of Hormuz over the tensions in a key global energy pathway, the Strait of Hormuz.

Africa Zero Emission Community (AZEC) is a scheme led by Japan, initiated in 2023 to support decarbonisation, energy transition towards clean energy, and energy security in Asia.
It provides an alternative, Asia-centric model of energy transition, recognising the diverse developmental needs of Asian economies.
AZEC focuses on:
- Supporting clean energy (hydrogen, ammonia, renewables) technology transfer.
- Balancing the need to be carbon neutral and economic growth.
- Ensuring energy supply chain resiliency in the area.
- AZEC Plus is a broadened system, which involves additional Asian nations and other international entities like Asian Development Bank and International Energy Agency.
It responds to the emerging challenges such as supply disruptions, critical mineral access, and maritime security.

Hafnium-Oxide Memristor

In News: Hafnium-oxide-based memristor, which is a brain-type nanodevice, has been created by scientists, and it is able to considerably decrease energy usage in artificial intelligence systems.

Neuromorphic computing is an area of technology that aims to imitate the design and operating mechanism of the human brain in electronic systems.
Memory and processing in the human brain are carried out concurrently in synapses, resulting in very energy-efficient computation.
This paradigm is radically opposite to the Von Neumann architecture that is employed by almost all modern general-purpose computers.
Physically, in this memory and processing units, they are physically detached, leading to high energy use as a result of frequent data transfers.