State PCS - Jharkhand (JPSC)

• 14 Nov 2025

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. 

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.