Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 11th May 2026

Western Disturbances: In News

Northwest India is enjoying a brief respite from rain and thunderstorms after the latest Western Disturbance weakened and moved eastward.

• They are extratropical storm systems that form over the Mediterranean Sea and travel eastwards towards the Indian subcontinent.
• They carry moisture-laden air and interact with the subtropical jet stream, influencing weather conditions over vast regions, including parts of Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
• Western Disturbances primarily affect India during the winter months, from November to March.
• They bring crucial rainfall and snowfall, vital for the Rabi crop season, especially in northwestern India, including Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi.
• Western Disturbances are named so because of their origin and movement patterns.
• These weather systems originate from the western regions of the Earth, specifically from the Mediterranean region.
• As they form over the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent areas, they are referred to as Western Disturbances.
• The term “disturbance” indicates the disruptive nature of these weather systems as they travel eastwards from their origin towards the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
• While they are called Western Disturbances in India, similar weather phenomena may be referred to by different names in other regions of the world, depending on their origin and impact.

What is a Fjord?

A massive 500-meter megatsunami, the second-tallest ever recorded, recently struck Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord after a landslide dumped 64 million cubic meters of rock into the water.

• A fjord is a long, narrow, deep body of water that stretches far inland from the coast.
• A fjord was formed when a glacier made a U-shaped valley by segregation through several ice ages .
• The valley was then filled with water from the sea once the glaciers melted.
• The opening toward the sea is called the mouth of the fjord, and is often shallow.
• The fjords can be long and quite deep and often surrounded by high mountains.
• Typically, fjords reach their greatest depths farther inland, where the force of the glacier that formed them was the most potent.
• Many fjords are actually deeper than the sea that feeds into it.
• Some features of fjords include coral reefs and rocky islands called skerries.
• Another feature of some fjords is the presence of epishelf lakes.
• These lakes occur when melted fresh water becomes trapped under a floating ice shelf.
• This freshwater does not mix with the saltwater below, but rather floats on top of it.
• Fjords are found mainly in Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Canada, Greenland, and the U.S. state of Alaska.
• Sognefjorden, a fjord in Norway, is more than 160 kilometers (nearly 100 miles) long.

Labeo kaage:

Scientists from the PAGR Centre of ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Kochi, recently discovered a new freshwater fish species, Labeo kaage, from the Shivanasamudra stretch of the Cauvery River basin in Mandya, Karnataka.

• Labeo kaage is a new species of freshwater fish.
• It was discovered from the Shivanasamudra stretch of the Cauvery River basin in Mandya, Karnataka.
• The name kaage, derived from the Kannada word for crow, refers to the fish’s dark body colour.
• Locally, it is known as ‘kaage meenu’ in Karnataka.
• It is the latest in a series of dark-coloured Labeo species discovered in the Western Ghats.
• During 2025, the same team also discovered Labeo chekida from the Chalakkudy River and Labeo uru from the Chandragiri River of Kerala.
• While Labeo chekida is locally known as ‘kaka chekida’, Labeo uru was named after the traditional wooden dhow (uru) of the Malabar coast due to its elongated sail-like fins.
• The scientists also clarified the identity of Labeo nigrescens, the enigmatic ‘Dark Labeo’ originally described in 1870, resolving a long-standing taxonomic confusion surrounding the group.

What is Dhow?

An Indian sailor was killed and several others injured after their wooden dhow caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz recently.

• A dhow is a traditional wooden sailing vessel used mainly in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and along the coasts of East Africa and the Middle East.
• A dhow has a long, narrow hull and is propelled only by its sail.
• Historians aren’t sure who invented the dhow — Indians or Arabs — but they do know the first ones appeared before 600 C.E.
• The dhow has been a central part of maritime trade, fishing, and culture for countries like Oman, Yemen, India, and coastal regions of East Africa.
• Today the term generally refers to all sailing ships in that region with one or two masts and triangular or quadrilateral-shaped sails.
• Bows are sharp, with a forward and upward thrust, and the sterns of the larger dhows may be windowed and decorated.
• Beypore Uru is a wooden dhow handcrafted by skilled artisans and carpenters in Beypore town, Kozhikode district, Kerala.
• Beypore urus are purely made of wood, without using any modern techniques, and traditional methods are used to launch these ships into the water.
• The carpenters manually join each piece of wood to build the large boat.
• Uru making in Beypore is a centuries-old tradition that was established since India began its maritime trade with Mesopotamia.
• Arab traders were among the first major patrons of these vessels.
• Usually an Uru is built by a team of fifty men over a period of at least four years.
• No blueprints are made and the entire aspect of shipbuilding is embedded in the minds of the highly skilled shipwrights.
• Khalasis are a group of people traditionally involved in the construction of Urus.

Odonata Species:

The survey recorded 143 odonata species—76 dragonflies and 67 damselflies—of which 40 were endemic to the Western Ghats.

• Odonata, popularly known as dragonflies and damselflies are primarily associated with wetlands and surrounding landscape.
• The order Odonata is one of the ancient groups of insects.
• Odonata is an insect order consisting of three groups: Anisoptera (which includes dragonflies), Zygoptera (which includes damselflies), and Anisozygoptera (a relict group represented by only two living species).
• They are found in a variety of habitats, such as freshwater environments like ponds, rivers, and lakes.
• They are globally distributed, from the tropics, where they are most numerous and varied, to the boreal forests of Siberia and North America.
• They are also found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, with the exception of Antarctica.
• Features:
  • Behaviour: Large, active by day, and often strikingly coloured, they are usually seen flying near water.
  • Diet: Adult odonates are voracious predators, as are the aquatic larvae.

International Organisation for Standardisation:

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) organised the 35th Plenary and Working Groups meetings of the subcommittee of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) ‘Space Systems and Operations’ (ISO TC 20 / SC 14) at New Delhi.

• It is an international nongovernmental organization established in 1947 and made up of national standards bodies.
• It is made up of members from the national standards bodies of 177 countries.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Functions of ISO:
  • The ISO plays a role in facilitating world trade by providing common standards of safety, reliability, and quality.
  • It develops and publishes standards for a vast range of products, materials, and processes.
  • It publishes technical reports, technical specifications, publicly available specifications, technical corrigenda, and guides.
• Governance of International Organisation for Standardisation:
  • General Assembly: It is the overarching organ and ultimate authority of the organization.
  • ISO Council: It is the core governance body of the organization and reports to the General Assembly. It meets three times a year and is made up of 21 member bodies
  • Technical Management Board : The management of the technical work is taken care of by the Technical Management Board, which reports to Council.

ICGS Achal:

The Indian Coast Guard (ICGS) commissioned ICGS Achal at Goa Shipyard Limited.

• The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Achal is the new-generation Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV).
• It is named Achal, meaning firm.
• It is the fifth one in a series of eight FPVs being constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for the coast guard.
• It is powered by two 3000 kW advanced diesel engines,
• The vessel delivers a top speed of 27 knots and an operational endurance of 1500 nautical miles.
• It has a suite of integrated technologies, including an Integrated Bridge System, Integrated Machinery Control System, and Automated Power
• It has 60% indigenous content, dual-class certification (ABS & IRS).
• It will undertake a wide range of missions, including surveillance, interdiction, Search and Rescue (SAR), anti-smuggling operations, and pollution response.
• The ship will be stationed at Vadinar, Gujarat, operating under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (North West).

Litchi:

The Union Agriculture Ministry constituted a special expert task force to study the damage caused to litchi crops by the litchi stink bug.

• It is a delicious juicy fruit belongs to Sapindaceae family.
• It is a sub-tropical fruit and thrives best under moist sub-tropical climate.
• It usually prefers low elevation and can be grown up to an altitude of 800 m.
• Deep, well drained loamy soil, rich in organic matter and having pH in the range of 5.0 to 7.0 is ideal for the crop.
• The temperature should not go beyond 40.5 0C in summer and below freezing point in winter.
• Prolonged rain may be harmful especially at the time of flowering, when it interferes with pollination.
• The young trees require protection against frost and hot winds for several years till they are firmly established.
• It is sensitive to frost during winter and dry heat in summer.
• India is the second largest producer of litchi in the World after China. Other major producing countries are Thailand, Australia, South Africa, Madagascar and Florida in US.
• It is widely cultivated in India, especially in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Assam.

NCRB’s Crime in India 2024 Report:

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released the ‘Crime in India – 2024’ report. While the data shows an overall 6% decline in cognisable crimes across the country, it highlights a stark 17% surge in cybercrimes, reflecting a rapid transition from traditional physical offences to sophisticated borderless digital crimes.

• The NCRB also released the Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India (ADSI) 2024 report, according to which 1,70,746 suicides were recorded in 2024.
• Deaths due to drug overdose saw a 50% increase in 2024 compared with 2023.
• The NCRB 2024 report recorded a decline in overall cognisable crimes, but this was partly due to legal changes under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while crimes against children, senior citizens, and economic offences continued to rise.
• Cybercrime emerged as the biggest concern, increasing by 17% due to AI-enabled frauds, digital arrest scams, weak digital literacy, and organised cyber syndicates, highlighting the urgent need for stronger cyber governance and digital security reforms.

Key Findings of the NCRB 2024 Report:

• Total Cases: India recorded 58.85 lakh cognisable crimes in 2024, down from 62.41 lakh in 2023.
• The reported 6% dip is largely attributed to the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
• Under the BNS, simple ‘Hurt’ was made a non-cognisable offence. Consequently, cases registered under the ‘Hurt’ category saw a massive 30.58% decline (dropping from 6.36 lakh to 4.41 lakh cases), which artificially deflated the overall national crime numbers.
• The Crime rate, which is a measure of cases registered per lakh population, saw a dip from 448.3 in 2023 to 418.9 in 2024, the lowest since 2019.
• Trends in Crimes:
  • Murder and Kidnapping: Murder cases witnessed a marginal decline of 2.4%, with ‘disputes’ remaining the leading motive. Kidnapping and abduction cases declined by a significant 15.4%.
  • Property Offences: Traditional property offences like theft (down 9.8%) and robbery (down 13%) saw a noticeable decline, though burglary remained relatively stagnant.
• Crimes Against Vulnerable Sections:
  • Children: Crime against children increased by 5.9% in 2024. Kidnapping and abduction accounted for the highest share, followed by POCSO-related offences, while the crime rate rose to 42.3 per lakh children population (39.9 in 2023).
  • Women: Crimes against women declined by 1.5%, with 4.41 lakh cases reported in 2024 compared to 4.48 in 2023.
  • However, the crime rate remains high at 64.6 per lakh female population (66.2 in 2023), with ‘Cruelty by husband or his relatives’ remaining the dominant offence.
• Marginalised Communities: Crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) decreased by 3.6%, while crimes against Scheduled Tribes (STs) showed a sharp decline of 23.1% over 2023.
• Senior Citizens: Crimes against senior citizens rose by 16.9% in 2024. Theft accounted for the highest share, followed by forgery, cheating and fraud (FCF), and murder.
• Juveniles in Conflict with Law: Cases registered against Juveniles in Conflict with Law increased by 11.2%.
• Human Trafficking and Missing Persons: Human trafficking cases declined slightly in 2024, though over 6,000 victims, including many children, were reported trafficked, with authorities rescuing thousands and arresting offenders. Meanwhile, missing person cases increased by 7.3%, while missing children cases rose by 7.8%, highlighting persistent concerns over trafficking, child safety, and vulnerable populations.
• Economic Offences: Increased by 4.6% in 2024, with forgery, cheating, and fraud (FCF) accounting for the majority of cases. Meanwhile,the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 cases registered by the State Anti-Corruption Bureau remained largely stable, with most involving trap cases.
• Environment Related Offences: Declined by 16.4% in 2024, with most cases registered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, followed by Noise Pollution Acts.
• State-Wise Variations: Telangana recorded a sharp rise in total cognisable crimes in 2024 and emerged among States with the highest crime rates (cases per lakh population) in the country.
  • Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest per capita crime rate (7.4), followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand.
  • Nagaland continued to record the lowest crime rate in the country.
  • The State/UT reporting highest Charge-sheeting Rate under IPC and BNS Crimes are Kerala (94.5%), Puducherry (91.0%) and West Bengal (90.6%).
  • Among metropolitan cities, Delhi ranked worst in violent crimes (murders, kidnappings) and fourth worst in economic offences. Bengaluru has recorded the country’s highest suicide rate (20 per lakh population) among major metros.

India to Host 1st International Big Cat Summit:

India announced that it will host the 1st International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit in New Delhi from 1st – 2nd June, 2026.

• Delhi Declaration: The summit is expected to adopt the ‘Delhi Declaration’, the first global declaration on big cat conservation, aimed at promoting shared priorities, transboundary cooperation, and a landscape-based approach for protecting big cats and their habitats.
• Theme: The summit will be guided by the theme — “Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem.”
• IBCA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, and was formally approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2024.
• IBCA was established through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• It functions as a global platform to share conservation expertise, fund conservation initiatives, and create a repository of technical knowledge.
• The initiative’s main objective is the conservation of seven major big cat species: the Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma.
• It currently has 24 member countries, 5 observer countries (Kazakhstan, Namibia, Thailand, Ecuador, and Vietnam), and several range countries that encompass the natural habitats of big cats in the wild.
• All the United Nations member countries are eligible to become members of IBCA.
• Big Cats are under threat due to habitat loss, poaching, climate change, and human-wildlife conflicts.
• Conservation at a global scale is required to halt population decline and reverse negative trends.
• India has committed Rs. 150 crore (2023-2028) in support to the IBCA and is exploring additional funding through bilateral, multilateral, and donor organizations.

Localized Climate Governance:

India is witnessing a significant evolution in climate governance as states transition from generic, top-down State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) to localized, data-driven strategies like the Urban Heat Island (UHI) mitigation efforts.

• Indian states are institutionalizing climate action through targeted initiatives, such as Odisha’s precise climate budgeting,
• Kerala’s advanced disaster management, and Madhya Pradesh’s centralized climate knowledge platform.
• In 2024, Tamil Nadu established the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC) as a nodal agency for all climate action with a target of Rs 1,000-crore corpus.
• Cities like Chennai are targeting specific hotspots to counter the Urban Heat Island effect using passive cooling, mechanical ventilation, and operational advisories.
• States are adopting “responsibility matrices” (e.g., Thane’s heat task force) and requiring environment departments to present annual progress reports to State Assemblies to ensure on-ground action.
• The Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme portal enhances power distribution efficiency by providing state-wise data on infrastructure upgrades and loss reduction to guide funding priorities.
• The PM Surya Ghar portal tracks rooftop solar adoption across states, offering public data that helps policymakers pinpoint regional gaps and refine uptake strategies.
• The 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to make heatwaves a nationally notified disaster is expected to unlock significant federal funding for city-level resilience.