Prelims Focus 9th July 2026

09/07/2026

15 2 minutes read

Mission Drishti

In News: Mission Drishti, India’s largest private Earth observation satellite, lost communication due to a solar storm. Built by GalaxEye, it features world-first OptoSAR technology, merging optical cameras and radar. This allows all-weather, day-and-night imaging.

Key Highlights

Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9.
The Anomaly: Extreme space radiation likely damaged a critical onboard system during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP).
Mission Status: While recovery chances are low, the satellite successfully validated core technologies before failing.

Significance

Space Weather Impact: Highlights the vulnerability of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to geomagnetic radiation.
Private Sector Growth: Proves India’s rising capabilities in sovereign tech. GalaxEye plans to launch two next-gen satellites in the next 24 months.

Prambanan Temple

In News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the 9th-century Prambanan Temple in Indonesia underscores shared civilizational links, featuring a UNESCO World Heritage site with 240 temples dedicated to the Trimurti.

Restoration and Significance

Archaeological Significance: The complex is renowned for intricate stone carvings illustrating the Ramayana.
Conservation: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is involved in ongoing restoration efforts at the 1,000-year-old site.

About Prambanan Temple

Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat.
Located on the boundary between the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Central Java on Java Island, this spectacular complex stands as an enduring monument to ancient Southeast Asian architecture, spirituality, and stone engineering.

Historical Background

Origins: Built circa 850 CE by the Sanjaya Dynasty to mark a Hindu resurgence in Central Java, serving as a counterpoint to nearby Buddhist sites.
History: The complex was abandoned following a 10th-century power shift to East Java and was rediscovered in the early 19th century, with restoration beginning in 1918.

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0

In News: The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 has successfully provided credit access to more than 4.11 lakh government-guaranteed loans, amounting to more than ₹1.55 lakh crore, to the eligible sectors.

ECLGS 5.0 is the updated version of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme which was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The emphasis of the scheme is to offer businesses extra working capital support during a period of temporary financial difficulty.
The scheme has been designed to mitigate financial stress of MSMEs and the aviation industry, caused by the disruption in West Asia due to the ongoing conflict.
It enables qualifying borrowers to avail of working capital loans for an additional amount up to 20% of their WCLs.
The scheme has a total credit support envelope of ₹2,55,000 crore (including Rs.5,000 crore for airlines).

National Academic Depository (NAD)

In News: In 2017, the Government introduced the National Academic Depository (NAD) to store, verify and authenticate and issue academic awards in digital form.

The Ministry of Education is the parent ministry responsible for the NAD.
It has appointed the University Grants Commission (UGC) as the nodal agency for the implementation of NAD via DigiLocker.
Credit scores of students are managed by the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) and Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) is for academic mobility.
NAD registers Central, State, Private, deemed-to-be Universities, CBSE and other school boards, Institutions of National Importance and other higher education institutions.
The working of NAD:
- Academic Award Creation: When an educational institution (school, university, boards, and other authorised bodies) has a course or an examination, they create an academic award (eg: degree, diploma, certificate, mark sheet) upon completion of the course or examination.
- Uploaded/Issued in Digi Locker/NAD: These authenticated academic records are securely uploaded/issued by the institution on the platform of DigiLocker/NAD.
- Students Access via DigiLocker: After issuance, students’ academic documents are automatically linked with their DigiLocker account and they can securely access it anytime.