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 affairsGender Snapshot 2026 (UN Women & UN DESA): 1 in 3 Gender Equality Institutions Weakened, SDG 5 Off Track by 171 YearsUN Women and UN DESA jointly released the Gender Snapshot 2026 on September 17, 2026, revealing that 1 in 3 national gender equality institutions lost institutional power in just two years, while bilateral aid for gender equality fell 13% between 2023 and 2024. Not a single SDG 5 (Gender Equality) indicator is on track by 2030, and gender equality globally is 171 years away at the current pace of progress. Current affairsWestern Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area: 6th Draft Notification 2026, Kerala's Push to Exclude 131 Villages, and the Conservation-Livelihood DebateThe Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued its 6th draft notification on July 25, 2026, proposing to declare over 56,825 sq km of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The public objection window closes September 24, 2026. Kerala has moved to exclude 131 villages and approximately 9,993 sq km, while the Centre insists no part — except the Palakkad Gap — should be excluded to maintain ecological continuity. Current affairsIndia's First Soil Carbon Payments: Aadi Programme Disburses ₹2.9 Crore to 2,550 Farmers in Punjab and HaryanaIndia launched its first direct-benefit-transfer soil carbon payments on September 17, 2026 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Under the Aadi farmer carbon programme, 2,550 smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana received more than ₹2.9 crore for adopting regenerative agriculture practices — direct seeded rice, reduced tillage, and crop residue management — between 2019 and 2022, marking a landmark convergence of climate finance and agricultural welfare. Current affairsIndia Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025: Delhi Tops Rankings, National EV Share Reaches 8.25%NITI Aayog and WRI India released the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, ranking Delhi first with a score of 84/100. India's national EV market penetration reached 8.25% in 2025–26, with 2.5 million new registrations — a 25% year-on-year rise — placing the country on a trajectory toward its EV30@30 target. Current affairsGlobal Gender Gap Index 2026: India Ranks 131st with 64.5% Parity — Gaps in Economic Participation and Political EmpowermentIndia ranked 131st out of countries surveyed in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2026, with an overall gender parity score of 64.5%. While India performs relatively better on health and survival, it continues to lag significantly on economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment — dimensions critical for UPSC Social Justice and Governance papers. Current affairsNational Quantum Mission (NQM): IIT Bombay Facilities Inaugurated — India's ₹6,003 Crore Quantum LeapFabrication and central research facilities under the National Quantum Mission (NQM) were inaugurated at IIT Bombay in September 2026, marking a key milestone in India's ₹6,003.65 crore quantum technology programme (2023–2031). NQM aims to develop quantum computers with 50–1,000 physical qubits by 2031, making India one of only six countries with a dedicated national quantum mission. Current affairsWorld Circular Economy Forum 2026: India Hosts Landmark 10th Edition in GandhinagarIndia is hosting the 10th World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF 2026) at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (September 15–18, 2026) — the first edition in South Asia. Organised by Finland's Sitra in partnership with India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the forum brings together 2,000+ stakeholders from 65+ countries under the theme "Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity." Current affairsEngineers' Day 2026: Honouring Sir M. Visvesvaraya — India's Greatest Civil EngineerIndia observes National Engineers' Day on September 15 each year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (1861–1962), Bharat Ratna awardee and one of the greatest civil engineers of modern India. The 2026 theme is "Smart Engineering for a Sustainable Future through Innovation and Digitalization." 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 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.
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
- 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
- Article 48A of the Indian Constitution, inserted by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to protect and improve the environment. Under which category of constitutional provisions does Article 48A fall?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Directive Principle under Article 43 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates the State to secure a living wage for workers, is the constitutional basis for social security legislation like the EPFO. In which Part of the Constitution are Directive Principles of State Policy contained, and what is their key legal characteristic?UPSC · Current Affairs