Article 48A
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Current affairsBuellia maharajensis: New Lichen Species Discovered in Mathikettan Shola National Park, Kerala — Biodiversity Significance and UPSC AngleScientists from Maharaja's College (Ernakulam), KFRI, and CSIR-NBRI have discovered a new-to-science lichen species, Buellia maharajensis, from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Taiwania on September 8, 2026, this is the fourth new lichen species found in this single national park, underscoring the Western Ghats' extraordinary biodiversity value and the importance of protecting shola-grassland ecosystems. Current affairsNITI Aayog Launches PACT and ZET Marketplace at 5th e-FAST India Summit: Decarbonising India's Road Freight SectorNITI Aayog launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) and the Zero Emission Truck (ZET) Marketplace on 7 September 2026 at the 5th e-FAST (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport) India Summit in New Delhi. The twin platforms target India's road freight sector, where heavy commercial vehicles — just 3–4% of the total fleet — contribute over one-third of all transport-sector carbon emissions. Current affairsBSI Discovers Osbeckia ulotricha in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve: New Plant Species from Western Ghats and India's Biodiversity SignificanceScientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered a new woolly-haired flowering plant species, Osbeckia ulotricha, in the shola grasslands of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats (Kerala–Tamil Nadu boundary). Published in the international botanical journal Lilloa, the discovery adds to India's documented flora — set against the backdrop of the Western Ghats as one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. Current affairsChhattisgarh Tops Nation in Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 3.0: Water Conservation Model and Its Governance LessonsChhattisgarh secured first position nationally in Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 3.0 — completing 77,719 out of 79,775 registered water conservation structures under the Ministry of Jal Shakti's Catch the Rain campaign. Five Chhattisgarh districts feature among India's top-10 districts for water conservation, and the state's innovative "5% Model" (voluntary farm land allocation for groundwater recharge in Koriya district) has been highlighted as a national best practice. Current affairsUNEP "Limiting Overshoot" Report 2026: World Set to Breach 1.5°C — Paris Agreement Pathways and India's Climate ObligationsUNEP's "Limiting Overshoot" report (September 2026) declares that breaching the 1.5°C Paris Agreement warming threshold is now unavoidable in the near term. Without enhanced action, global temperatures could reach 2.6°C by 2100, but an "overshoot-peak-decline" pathway can return temperatures below 1.5°C through aggressive emissions cuts and large-scale carbon dioxide removal. Current affairs18th BRICS Summit 2026, New Delhi: India's Chairship, Theme, Agenda and What to Expect on September 12–13India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — India's fourth BRICS chairship. The theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Over 350 BRICS meetings were held across 25+ cities under India's 2026 presidency. The expanded BRICS+ grouping now includes nine members, making this summit the largest in the bloc's history. Current affairsWMO Warns of Very Strong El Niño Through Early 2027: India's Monsoon Risks, IOD Interaction, and Global Extreme Weather OutlookThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued an El Niño/La Niña Update (September 2026) warning of a near-100% probability that a very strong El Niño will persist through February 2027, with Niño 3.4 sea-surface temperature anomalies reaching +2.2–2.6°C above normal. The event — the most unequivocal El Niño forecast WMO has ever issued — raises risks of floods, drought, and extreme heat globally. A developing positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may partially offset El Niño's typical weakening effect on India's monsoon. Current affairsIndia Hosts International Tiger Landscapes Workshop; IBCA Signs MoU with ADB for Nature-Positive Conservation FinancingThe International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed a landmark MoU with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the sidelines of the International Tiger Landscapes Workshop (September 2–3, 2026) in New Delhi — unlocking nature-positive blended finance for landscape-scale tiger conservation across six Asian tiger-range nations. Current affairsMission Rangeen Machhli 2031: VP Radhakrishnan Launches Ornamental Fisheries Roadmap in Lakshadweep, Anchoring India's Blue EconomyVice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released 'Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031' in Agatti, Lakshadweep on 31 August 2026 — a strategic roadmap to develop India's ornamental fisheries (colourful fish for aquariums and ornamental ponds) into a globally competitive, organised industry. Lakshadweep, with over 300 ornamental fish species and a 4-lakh sq km EEZ, is the mission's focus island territory. Current affairsSarnath Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site: India's 45th — 2,500 Years of Buddhist Heritage Now on the Global MapThe Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 25 July 2026 at the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan, Republic of Korea — 28 years after being placed on the tentative list in 1998. India now has 45 World Heritage Sites; Sarnath is Uttar Pradesh's fourth. Current affairsUNCCD COP17 Ulaanbaatar 2026: "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." — India, Land Degradation Neutrality, and the Global Desertification CrisisThe 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (17–28 August 2026) under the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." The conference focused on converting land pledges into finance and action, amid warnings that 77% of Mongolia's land is already degraded and global dryland degradation threatens 2 billion people. Current affairsHindalco Commissions India's First Superfine PPT ATH Plant in Belagavi: Halogen-Free Flame Retardant and Atmanirbhar Specialty AluminaHindalco Industries (Aditya Birla Group) commissioned India's first greenfield Superfine Precipitated Aluminium Trihydrate (PPT ATH) manufacturing plant in Belagavi, Karnataka on August 27, 2026, with an initial annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes (expandable to 60,000 tonnes). PPT ATH is a halogen-free flame-retardant used in fire-safe cables, polymer insulators, and composites — previously entirely import-dependent. The plant runs entirely on renewable energy.
In previous-year questions
- Article 48A of the Constitution of India, added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to:UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48A of the Indian Constitution, which directs the State to protect and improve the environment, was inserted by which Constitutional Amendment?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty under Article 51A of the Indian Constitution specifically requires citizens to "protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures"?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty in the Indian Constitution specifically casts an obligation on every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution imposes a Directive Principle on the State to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution contains the Directive Principle on promotion of international peace and security and maintenance of just and honourable relations between nations — the constitutional basis for India's active multilateral engagement through forums like BRICS?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Constitutional Article directs the State to protect every monument or place of artistic or historic interest declared by Parliament to be of national importance — directly relevant to the conservation of UNESCO-listed heritage sites in India?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) under the Indian Constitution directs the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife — the constitutional foundation for protecting national parks like Mathikettan Shola?UPSC · Current Affairs