Article 51A
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Study materialScientific RevolutionThe Scientific Revolution was a transformative period in the 16th and 17th centuries that fundamentally changed humanity's understanding of the natural world through observation, experimentation, and mathematics, leading to the foundations of modern science. 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 affairsIndia Adds 4 Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List: Colonial Andaman, Nicobarese Culture, Ahom Sivasagar, Shekhawati Havelis — Total Now 73India added four new cultural sites to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in September 2026, taking the national total to 73 sites (53 cultural + 17 natural + 3 mixed). The four sites are: the Colonial Penal Settlement of the Andaman Islands, the Continuity of Nicobarese Culture, the Rangpur-Sivasagar Historic Architectural Ensemble (Ahom dynasty, Assam), and the Painted Havelis of Shekhawati (Rajasthan). 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 affairsPunjab's "Pehchaan" Portal: India's First Digital System for Identifying Unidentified Deceased PersonsPunjab became the first state in India to launch "Pehchaan" — a free, publicly accessible digital portal for identifying unidentified and unclaimed deceased persons in mortuaries. Built on the existing MedLEaPR (Medico-Legal Examination and Post-Mortem Reporting System), it stores photographs, physical descriptions, and identification marks, enabling families to trace missing relatives through police and hospital mortuary records. Current affairsDRDO-ACRHEM Patent for BAM-H24: India's Next-Generation Solid Rocket Propellant Fuel and Its Defence-Space SignificanceThe Indian Patent Office granted Patent No. 599900 (August 20, 2026) to DRDO and ACRHEM (University of Hyderabad) for BAM-H24 — a boron-hydrogen-nitrogen-rich energetic compound with high thermal stability, low impact sensitivity, and high specific impulse. BAM-H24 can function as a solid rocket propellant fuel, propellant additive, or burn-rate accelerator for missile systems and launch vehicles, advancing India's Atmanirbhar defence capability. 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 affairsGollala Gudi Temple in Telangana Declared Monument of National Importance by ASI — Kakatiya Heritage Near Ramappa UNESCO SiteThe Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has declared the Gollala Gudi temple complex in Palampet village, Mulugu district, Telangana, a Monument of National Importance — bringing ASI-protected sites in the state to 10. The Kakatiya-era temple, featuring three sanctums with a Shiva Lingam, is located near the UNESCO World Heritage Ramappa Temple. Current affairsAISHE 2023-24 Report: India's Higher Education Enrolment Hits Record 4.50 Crore, GPI Favours Women for 7th Year in a RowThe Ministry of Education released the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 report, showing total enrolment reaching a record 4.50 crore students — a 31.5% rise from 3.42 crore in 2014-15. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) stands at 1.08, indicating more women than men in higher education for the 7th consecutive year. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) reached 30. Current affairsLegal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules 2026: 'One Nation, One Time' — IST Made Legally Enforceable Nationwide with NavIC and White Rabbit TechnologyThe Ministry of Consumer Affairs notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026 on 27 August 2026, making Indian Standard Time (IST) the single legally enforceable time reference for all legal, administrative, commercial, and official purposes in India. The rules come into force 180 days after gazette notification (approximately March 2027), giving institutions time to align with the 'One Nation, One Time' initiative backed by NavIC and White Rabbit Technology. Current affairsSemicon 2.0 Notified: India's ₹1,27,500-Crore Semiconductor Mission Phase 2 — Indigenous Chip Design, 3-nm Roadmap, and Semiconductor SovereigntyThe Government of India formally notified Semicon 2.0 on August 31, 2026 — a ₹1,27,500-crore programme that expands the semiconductor ecosystem from chip assembly to indigenous design, intellectual property creation, advanced packaging, equipment, materials, research, and talent. India aims to domestically design and manufacture chips for 70–75% of its needs by 2029 and reach 3-nanometre and 2-nanometre technology nodes by 2035. 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.
In previous-year questions
- Which Fundamental Duty under Article 51A of the Constitution of India is most directly reinforced by the observance of Partition Horrors Remembrance Day?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48A of the Constitution of India, added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to:UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court declared the Thamirabarani River a legal person in 2026 (WP(MD) 18560/2026). What legal basis did the court primarily rely on for granting this personhood?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 Directive Principle of State Policy in the Indian Constitution places an obligation on the State to protect monuments or places of artistic or historic interest declared of national importance?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