Current Affairs 26 May 2026

Endangered Egyptian Vultures in Andhra Pradesh

Wildlife experts and conservationists have raised concerns over the rapid decline of the Egyptian Vulture in the rocky hill ranges of Sri Sathya Sai district in Andhra Pradesh.

Highlights

• The Egyptian Vulture, once commonly seen in the Rayalaseema region, is now nearing local extinction.
• The species is classified as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Important Habitat

The rocky cliffs and semi-arid terrain provide ideal nesting conditions for vultures and raptors. The species is primarily found around Ratnagiri Fort, Rolla Mandal, in the Sri Sathya Sai district, near the Karnataka border.

Bandaru Dattatreya’s Autobiography – Prajala Kathe Naa Atmakatha

Bandaru Dattatreya launched his autobiography titled Prajala Kathe Naa Atmakatha at the Kakatiya Convention Centre in Visakhapatnam.

About Bandaru Dattatreya

• Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
• Former Governor of Haryana.
• Known for his public service and social outreach activities.

Statements at the Event

• Odisha Governor Hari Babu praised Dattatreya’s role during the Diviseema cyclone relief efforts and his commitment to democratic values.
• Ganta Srinivasa Rao highlighted Dattatreya’s reputation as a leader respected across political parties.
• Dattatreya stated that politics and business should be viewed as responsibilities dedicated to public service, rather than as avenues for profit-making.

About “Alai Balai”

The event also referred to the annual cultural and social gathering “Alai Balai” associated with Bandaru Dattatreya, known for bringing together leaders from different political backgrounds.

Scientists Discover Evidence of Ancient Wildfires in Gondwana Coal Deposits

Researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have discovered molecular evidence of massive wildfires that occurred nearly 250 million years ago during the Permian period. The findings provide important insights into Earth’s ancient climate, vegetation, and coal-forming environments.

Highlights

• The ancient wildfires swept across the forests of the ancient supercontinent ‘Gondwana’.
• The study focused on coal-bearing sediments from the Godavari Valley Coalfield, India.

Scientific Techniques Used

Researchers used a multi-proxy approach combining:

• Palynofacies analysis,
• Raman Spectroscopy,
• Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy.

Important Scientific Terms

• Palaeofire: Ancient wildfire preserved in geological records.
• PAHs (Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons): Molecular indicators of combustion processes.

Union Government Launches PM-AJAY Portal and Mobile App

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the PM-AJAY Portal and PM-AJAY Mobile App to strengthen digital governance, transparency, and socio-economic development for Scheduled Caste communities across India.

PM-AJAY Portal

• PM-AJAY stands for Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana
• The scheme focuses on the socio-economic upliftment of the Scheduled Castes, Village development, Skill development, Livelihood support, and Hostel infrastructure.
• Tracks development in more than 47,000 SC-majority villages.
• Covers over 4 million beneficiaries.
• Provides national, state, and district dashboards, real-time monitoring, milestone-linked fund flow tracking, and Digital Village Development Plans (VDPs).

Major Components

1. Adarsh Gram Component

• Digital planning at the village level,
• Monitoring across 50 socio-economic indicators and 10 developmental domains.

2. Grants-in-Aid (GIA) Component

• Tracks livelihood and skill development projects,
• Centralized Management Information System (MIS).

3. Hostel Component

• Monitors hostel construction and repair projects,
• Uses geo-tagged and time-stamped photographs for inspections.

PAIMANA Portal

PAIMANA is a centralized web-based portal launched by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) for monitoring Central Sector Infrastructure Projects worth ₹150 crore and above. PAIMANA Portal works on the principle of “One Data, One Entry”.

The portal is designed to:

• Monitor infrastructure project implementation,
• Improve transparency and accountability,
• Enable data-driven decision-making,
• Ensure timely review of projects across Ministries.

Q1. The Egyptian Vulture, which is classified as “Endangered”, was commonly seen in which of the following districts of Andhra Pradesh?
A. Kurnool
B. Sri Sathya Sai
C. Nellore
D. Visakhapatnam

Q2. What is the title of the autobiography launched by former Governor Bandaru Dattatreya?
A. Naa Jeevana Yatra
B. Prajala Kathe Naa Atmakatha
C. Desam Kosam
D. Jana Nayakudu

Q3. PM-AJAY, recently seen in the news, stands for:
A. Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Jan Awas Yojana
B. Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana
C. Pradhan Mantri Aarthik Jan Vikas Yojana
D. Pradhan Mantri Aspirational Justice Yojana

Q4. The PAIMANA portal, recently seen in the news, is mainly associated with:
A. Monitoring agricultural subsidies
B. Tracking Central Sector infrastructure projects
C. Managing digital education schemes
D. Monitoring healthcare insurance schemes

Q5. Researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences recently discovered evidence of ancient wildfires in coal-bearing sediments of which coalfield?
A. Raniganj Coalfield
B. Jharia Coalfield
C. Godavari Valley Coalfield
D. Talcher Coalfield