• 14 Nov 2025

Booker Prize 2025

Why in News? 

Author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize for his fictional novel Flesh. 

Key Points 

• About the Winner: 
  • David Szalay is a Hungarian-British novelist known for his precise, economical prose and deep exploration of masculinity, identity, and contemporary European life. 
  • With Flesh, he reinforces his reputation as a writer who captures the inner lives of ordinary men with unusual clarity, situating their personal struggles against broader social and economic landscapes. 
• About Booker Prize: 
  • The Booker Prize (formerly the Man Booker Prize) is one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards. It was established in 1969 and is run by the Booker Prize Foundation. 
  • It honours the best original full-length novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Writers of any nationality have been eligible to compete since 2014. 
  • The award aims to promote excellence in English-language fiction and encourage wider readership. 
  • Indian winners include Arundhati Roy (1997), Kiran Desai (2006), and Aravind Adiga (2008).

Difference Between Booker Prize & International Booker Prize 

• The Booker Prize was first awarded in 1969 and is for the best single work of fiction originally written in English.  
• The International Booker Prize was established later in 2005 and is for the best single work of fiction translated into English from any other language.   
• It recognizes the achievement of both the author and the translator. 

Shafali Verma Honoured by Haryana Government

Why in News? 

Haryana Chief Minister recently felicitated Shafali Verma after her standout performance in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. 

Key Points 

• About the Felicitation: 
  • Shafali Verma was presented with a cheque of ₹1.50 crore and a 'Grade A' sports gradation certificate by the Chief Minister. 
  • Shafali Verma was appointed brand ambassador of the Haryana State Women’s Commission in recognition of her contribution to women’s sport in the state.  
• About Haryana State Women’s Commission: 
  • It is a statutory, quasi-judicial body constituted by the State Government. 
  • Initially constituted in 1999, but achieved statutory status with the enactment of the Haryana State Commission for Women Act, 2012. 
  • Functions: 
    • It functions as an advisory body to the state government on policies, laws, and programmes related to women’s welfare, protection, and empowerment. 
    • The Commission investigates complaints of domestic violence, harassment, dowry issues, trafficking, and denial of women’s constitutional and legal rights. 
    • It has powers of a Civil Court to summon individuals, call for documents, and conduct inquiries. 
    • It monitors the implementation of women-centric schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, women’s safety initiatives, and workplace harassment mechanisms. 
    • The Commission also undertakes suo-motu action in cases of severe rights violations. 

NGT Seeks Report on Waste Near Asan River, Dehradun

Why in News? 

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked Dehradun Municipal Corporation to submit a progress report on the clearance of legacy waste near the Asan River, following concerns about leachate entering the river’s floodplain. 

Key Points 

• About Asan River: 
  • The Asan River, also known as the Asan or Asan Barrage stream, originates near Mussoorie and flows through the Doon Valley before meeting the Yamuna River at the Asan Conservation Reserve near the Uttarakhand – Himachal border. 
  • The river is fed by natural springs and hill streams and plays an important role in maintaining the groundwater table and biodiversity of western Doon. 
  • The construction of the Asan Barrage (1967) created a reservoir that supports irrigation, hydropower generation (via the Kulhal and Khodri powerhouses), and bird habitats. 
  • It forms the Asan Wetland (Asan Conservation Reserve), Uttarakhand’s first Ramsar Site (2020), a key habitat for migratory birds such as ruddy shelduck, common pochard, Eurasian coot and bar-headed geese. 

• About Legacy waste: 
  • Legacy waste refers to decades-old accumulated waste in dumpsites/landfills, consisting of mixed municipal waste such as plastics, construction debris, organic matter, textiles, glass, metals and other inert materials. . 
  • These massive waste mounds cause methane emissions, frequent fires, foul odour, groundwater contamination, and vector-borne health risks. 
  • Scientific remediation of legacy waste involves bio-mining, bio-remediation, or bioremediation-cum-capping, which help reclaim valuable land, reduce pollution, improve urban public health, and support the environmental objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. 

Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary Expansion

Why in News?  

The Government of Rajasthan has expanded the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary's buffer zone by more than 44,000 hectares, following regulatory review and approval. 

Key Points  

• About The Expansion: 
  • This expanded area is designated as the buffer zone, integrating forest land and revenue land surrounding the core area. 
  • The expansion follows a Supreme Court order that mandated a review of the sanctuary’s Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) boundaries and connectivity. 
• About Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary: 
  • It is located in Alwar district of Rajasthan, forming part of the Aravalli ranges with dry deciduous forests and rocky terrain. 
  • It was notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1955 and later declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978 under Project Tiger. 
  • It is known for the successful tiger reintroduction programme after local extinction in 2004, with tigers translocated from Ranthambore.It forms a crucial wildlife corridor linking the Sariska–Ranthambore landscape, aiding long-term tiger conservation. 
  • Key wildlife include Bengal tiger, leopard, striped hyena, caracal, sambar, chital, nilgai, wild boar, langur, and rich birdlife. 
  • It also contains ecological features such as valleys, plateaus, and seasonal streams (‘nalas’), along with Siliserh Lake and Mansarovar Lake supporting the habitat. 
  • It houses heritage structures like Kankwari Fort, adding cultural significance. 

Operation Bullion Blaze

Why in News? 

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) cracked down on a major gold-smuggling and melting syndicate in Mumbai under the code name "Operation Bullion Blaze." 

Key Points 

• About Operation Bullion Blaze: 
  • The operation aims to disrupt black-market gold channels, which are often used for cash conversion and unaccounted political or criminal funding. 
  • The operation focuses on Zaveri Bazaar, Kalbadevi, Opera House, and other high-volume trade clusters in Mumbai, where unregistered bullion activities are suspected. 
• About Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI):  
  • The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is India’s apex anti-smuggling agency, functioning under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance. 
  • It was established in 1957 and is responsible for preventing smuggling of gold, narcotics, wildlife items, counterfeit currency, and commercial frauds involving customs duty evasion. 
  • DRI has the authority to conduct search, seizure, arrest, and investigation under the Customs Act, 1962. 
  • It works closely with global bodies like WCO, INTERPOL, and foreign customs agencies for intelligence sharing. 

Hazaribag Lake Beautification

Why in News? 

The Jharkhand government has initiated a major beautification project to upgrade Hazaribag Lake, aiming to enhance tourism and improve urban public spaces. 

Key Points 

• Hazaribag Lake, also known as Hazaribagh Jheel, is a group of seven interconnected artificial lakes built during the British era for water management and civic use. 
• It is located in the heart of Hazaribag town. The lake complex serves as an important recreation hub, ecological buffer, and a landmark for local tourism. 
• The lakes were designed with a unique cascading system, where water flows from the upper jheel to the lower ones, helping natural replenishment. 
• Over the years, the lake has faced siltation, pollution, encroachment, and infrastructure decay, reducing its tourism potential. 
• The new beautification plan includes strengthening embankments, installing musical fountains, introducing boating facilities, enhancing walkways and lighting, and improving public amenities. 
  • Ecological measures such as desiltation, weed removal, and water quality improvement will be carried out to restore the lake’s environmental health.