State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 14 Nov 2025

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. 

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.