13 January 2026 - Daily Current Affairs Updates

GS–1 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY / CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Thwaites Glacier (Antarctica)

Subtopic: Polar Geography, Ice Shelves & Sea-Level Rise

Value Addition:

• Located in West Antarctica, east of Mount Murphy, along the Walgreen Coast of Marie Byrd Land.

• Drains into Pine Island Bay, part of the Amundsen Sea.

• Commonly called the “Doomsday Glacier” due to its destabilising potential.

• Named after Fredrik T. Thwaites, American glaciologist.

• Physical Scale:

  • Width: ~120 km (widest glacier in the world).

  • Thickness: 800–1,200 m from bedrock to surface.

  • Area: ~192,000 sq km (larger than Florida, slightly smaller than Great Britain).

• One of the fastest-changing ice–ocean systems globally.

• Recent studies show fracture patterns indicating possible ice-shelf collapse.

• Complete collapse could raise global sea levels by ~65 cm.

Subject Analysis:

• High-yield GS-1 topic linking glaciology, climate change, and global sea-level dynamics.

• Frequently used in mains answers on polar ice melt and coastal vulnerability.

GS–2 | INTERNAL SECURITY / DRUG CONTROL

2. Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD)

Subtopic: Anti-Drug Strategy, Inter-Agency Coordination

Value Addition:

• Established in 2016 to strengthen coordination between States and Ministry of Home Affairs.

• Strengthened in 2019 with a four-tier coordination mechanism.

• Objective:

  • Combat drug trafficking and substance abuse through intelligence sharing and joint action.

• Four-Tier Structure:

  • Apex Level: Headed by Union Home Secretary.

  • Executive Level: Chaired by Special Secretary, MHA.

  • State Level: Headed by Chief Secretaries.

  • District Level: Led by District Magistrates.

• Key Initiatives:

  • NCORD Portal for real-time information sharing.

  • MANAS Helpline (1933) – Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra for reporting drug-related issues.

• Recent meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister signals political priority.

Subject Analysis:

• Core GS-2 example of institutionalised internal security coordination.

• Useful for mains on drug menace, border security, and cooperative federalism.

GS–3 | BIODIVERSITY & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

3. Phayre’s Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei)

Subtopic: Arboreal Primates, Habitat Loss & Behavioural Change

Value Addition:

• Old World monkey species; diurnal and arboreal.

• Local names:

  • Bengali: Chasma bandor

  • Assamese: Chasma-chakuwa bandar

• Distinctive white ventral region and spectacle-like eye rings.

• Habitat: Tropical, deciduous, evergreen forests; also bamboo groves and rubber plantations.

• Distribution:

  • India: Tripura, Assam, Mizoram.

  • Also in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

• Diet: Young leaves, shoots, flowers.

• Possesses a multi-chambered stomach for digesting fibrous leaves.

• Spends 75%+ time in canopy, aiding nutrient cycling and seed dispersal.

• Recent habitat loss forcing behavioural and habitat-use changes.

• Conservation Status:

  • Endangered (IUCN).

  • CITES Appendix II.

Subject Analysis:

• Important GS-3 case linking deforestation, species adaptation, and conservation biology.

• Useful for answers on human-induced behavioural shifts in wildlife.

GS–3 | INTERNAL SECURITY / CIVIL–MILITARY COOPERATION

4. Exercise Sanjha Shakti

Subtopic: Military–Civil Fusion, Disaster & Security Preparedness

Value Addition:

• Joint Military–Civil Fusion exercise conducted by the Indian Army.

• Venue: Dighi Hills Range, Khadki Military Station, Pune.

• Conducted under Southern Command (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa Area).

• Objective:

  • Enhance coordination between armed forces and civilian agencies.

  • Prepare for complex security and emergency scenarios.

• Participation:

  • Indian Army + 16 civilian agencies.

  • Maharashtra Police, Force One, fire and emergency services.

  • 350+ civilian personnel involved.

• Focus Areas:

  • Interoperability, communication protocols, rapid decision-making.

  • Disaster response and public safety scenarios.

• Outcome:

  • Validated seamless civil–military coordination.

Subject Analysis:

• High-value GS-3 example for internal security preparedness and disaster management.

• Useful in mains for civil–military cooperation frameworks.

GS–3 | SCIENCE & HEALTH REGULATION

5. Ethylene Glycol

Subtopic: Industrial Chemicals, Drug Safety & Toxicology

Value Addition:

• Colourless, odourless, sweet-tasting, water-soluble organic compound.

• Chemical formula: C₂H₆O₂; classified as a diol.

• Produced via reaction of ethylene oxide with water.

• Boiling point: ~198°C; slightly viscous liquid.

• Industrial Uses:

  • Antifreeze and coolants.

  • Hydraulic fluids, printing inks, paint solvents.

  • Manufacture of polyesters, alkyd resins, explosives, synthetic waxes.

• Health Hazard:

  • Highly toxic if ingested.

  • Antifreeze contains ~95% ethylene glycol.

• Recent contamination incident highlights drug quality control gaps.

Subject Analysis:

• GS-3 relevance for public health safety, industrial regulation, and pharmacovigilance.

• Useful in mains for chemical safety governance.

GS–3 | FAUNA & FOREST ECOLOGY

6. Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica)

Subtopic: Arboreal Rodents, Forest Canopy Ecology

Value Addition:

• Also called Malabar Giant Squirrel; among the largest squirrels globally.

• Distributed across Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Satpura Range.

• Found in states including KA, MH, MP, GJ, TN, KL, AP, CG, JH.

• Known as Shekru, the state animal of Maharashtra.

• Arboreal and solitary; builds nests in tree cavities.

• Capable of 20-foot leaps between trees.

• Exhibits multi-colour pelage (black, brown, red, maroon, cream).

• Tail longer than body length.

• Conservation Status: Least Concern (IUCN).

Subject Analysis:

• Useful GS-3 species for forest canopy ecology and state fauna.

• Often asked in prelims for species–region association.

GS–3 | PROTECTED AREAS & CONSERVATION

7. Melghat Tiger Reserve

Subtopic: Tiger Reserves, Central Indian Ecology

Value Addition:

• Located in Maharashtra, part of the Satpura landscape.

• Lies on Gavilgarh Hill, southern offshoot of Satpura Range.

• First tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

• Name reflects confluence of ghats and valleys.

• Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous forests, teak-dominated.

• River Catchment:

  • Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, Dolar (all tributaries of Tapti).

• Boundaries marked by Tapti River and Gawilgadh ridge.

• Tribal communities: Korkus (majority), Gawli, Gond.

• Fauna: Tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, dhole, nilgai, hyena, jungle cat.

• Stronghold of critically endangered Forest Owlet.

• Recent release of Indian vultures by Bombay Natural History Society.

Subject Analysis:

• High-probability GS-3 topic on tiger reserves, river catchments, and species reintroduction.

• Useful for mains on landscape-level conservation.