Prelims Focus 29th July 2026

Pyrocumulonimbus Cloud

In News: Extreme wildfires in France and Spain have triggered rare pyrocumulonimbus (PyroCb) fire clouds, creating severe hazards like 150 km/h updrafts, dry lightning, and erratic fire-generated winds.

What is a Pyrocumulonimbus?

• CloudFire-generated storm: Intense heat from massive blazes forces air, ash, and smoke to shoot rapidly upward like a chimney flue, condensing moisture into a towering thunderstorm cloud.
• Altitude: Can reach heights of 6 to 9 miles (10 to 15 km) and pierce the stratosphere.
• New territory for France: While common in California, Australia, and Portugal, this is the first time such a phenomenon has been documented in France (specifically near Bordeaux and the Gironde region).

Dangers to Firefighters and Communities

• Erratic winds: Updrafts exceeding 150 km/h and turbulent gusts drive flames in unpredictable and rapidly shifting directions.
• Secondary ignitions: Lightning produced by the cloud strikes outside the fire perimeter, sparking brand-new blazes.
• Intensified crisis: Creates a dangerous feedback loop of heat and erratic weather, making containment nearly impossible and forcing massive evacuations across southwestern Europe.

Blue Straggler Stars (BSS)

In News: Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and global partners have captured a rare Blue Straggler Star (BSS) forming via mass transfer in the binary system TIC 327546480, confirming long-standing theories of stellar rejuvenation.

About BSS

Blue Straggler Stars (BSS) are unusual, luminous, hot, and blue stars found in old star clusters that appear deceptively young. The binary system TIC 327546480—located 9,500 light-years away in the 7-billion-year-old cluster Collinder 261—provides the clearest direct evidence yet that these stars form through mass transfer and stellar rejuvenation.

Key Characteristics 

• Mass Transfer: The system is semidetached; the donor star has expanded past its Roche lobe, actively leaking gas onto the companion BSS.
• Stellar Weights: The forming Blue Straggler weighs about 1.67 solar masses, while the smaller donor companion weighs roughly 0.32 solar masses.
• Rapid Spin: The BSS spins fast at roughly 69.55 km/s because it accumulates angular momentum from the incoming gas.
• Orbit and Timeline: The two stars orbit each other every 2.11 days. Modeling indicates mass transfer began around 5.46 billion years ago and is still active today.
• X-Ray Signatures: Strong X-ray emissions have been detected from the system, confirming the violent heating of gas as it crashes onto the surface of the BSS.

DISHA 2.0

In News: DISHA 2.0 (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice) Scheme has been initiated by the Union Government with an outlay of ₹255 crore for its implementation across the entire country for the period 2026-31.

• It is a Central Sector Scheme of Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice.
• DISHA 2.0 aims at leveraging technology to develop and enhance the outreach of citizen-friendly solution platforms for legal services. 
• The components that are most important in the Scheme.
• The Tele-Law connects people with panel lawyers through a mobile app and Toll-Free No. for rendering pre-litigation legal advice and through the use of video/tele conferencing facilities.
• Nyaya Bandhu (Pro-Bono Legal Services) Programme, advocates provide pro-bono services to the marginalized and disadvantaged sections of society as per Section 12 of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. 
• The Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme (LLLAP) aims to reach out to institutions and create partnerships among the various stakeholder Ministries/Departments, and to build the capacity of the grassroots workers, legally empower and spread legal awareness through the adoption of workshops, webinars, IEC materials, Prasar Bharati and other means.
• Sanjeevani is envisioned as an important element under DISHA 2.0 to improve the monitoring regime of the scheme through building and operating an Integrated Dashboard on a centralised platform (VIDHI).

Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha

In News:Opposition members raised their objection about the education reform and gave a notice to the President of Rajya Sabha under Rule 267.

• Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure of Rajya Sabha 

  • It makes provision that a Member may call to order the business of the House and deal with any public question of public importance for special consideration at once, for the announcement of which he must have the consent of the Chairman. 
  • It’s a special procedure because it skips the list of business, and can only be done with the consent of the Chairman.
  • This shall not cover any particular chapter of the rules in which separate provisions for suspension are made.

• Rules of the Rajya Sabha (Rule 176)

  • It allows for a brief discussion of something of pressing public concern without interrupting the regular proceedings of the House. 
  • A member shall notify the Secretary-General of any other member(s) in writing, with an explanatory note and signed by the two or more members, of such notice. 
  • The Chairman agrees to the notice and debate is set for consultation with the Leader of the House and may extend to a maximum of two and a half hours.

BHAVYA – Rasayan Scheme

In News: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan or BHAVYA – Rasayan Scheme for establishing three dedicated Chemical Parks in the country. 

• The Scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 with an outlay of ₹3,030 crore provided over five years (from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31), which includes ₹3,000 crore for infrastructure and ₹30 crore for administration.
• Union Government will cover the expense of up to Rs. No less than Rs.1000 crores per park. The respective State Government had allocated 500 crore. 
• Infrastructure to be developed in each Park will include Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP), Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSDF), water supply systems, solvent recovery unit, steam networks, inter-connected pipelines and logistics, warehousing facilities etc, with a minimum of 2,000 acres (8 sq km) each.

PRAXIS Mission

In News: NASA has given PRAXIS, an innovative mission concept, the chance to develop the first mission to collect and study particles that are found in planetary rings, including those of Saturn.

• PRAXIS is the Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling.
• It suggests an Artificial Intelligence (AI)- based bio-inspired robotic spacecraft.
• Its goal is to be the first mission to directly sample the particles of planetary rings.
• Key Features: 
  • Bio-inspired robotic explorer: The robot is designed to be efficient and adaptable to nature.
  • AI autonomy: Leverages AI to find acceptable ring particles, schedule sampling activities and process the sample data with minimal human involvement.

Kusha Missile

In News: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired the first flight trial of the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Kusha from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. 

• An indigenous long-range SAM system that will provide defence against various air threats to strategic military and civilian assets and infrastructure.
• It can destroy a large number of air-to-air threats such as large aircraft, UAVs, missiles and fighter aircraft within a broad range & altitude envelope. 
• The range of a long-range SAM is greater than 200km.
• All the elements of the weapon system, such as the missiles, radars, and command and control centre, are developed by different DRDO laboratories and Industry partners.
• It is integrated into India’s ambitious national defense effort – Mission Sudarshan Chakra – which aims to create an interlocked, multi-layered, AI-powered air and missile defense network by 2035.

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