UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 1:
• Iranian conundrum
Iranian conundrum
GS Paper 3:
• India’s Focus on AI and Its Environmental Impact
India’s Focus on AI and Its Environmental Impact
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Karuna Abhiyan
Karuna Abhiyan
• Responsible Nations Index
Responsible Nations Index
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Havana Syndrome
Havana Syndrome
• BRICS India 2026 Logo
BRICS India 2026 Logo
• S. Sahoo Committee
S. Sahoo Committee
• Jharkhand Megaliths
Jharkhand Megaliths
Mapping:
• Shaksgam Valley
Shaksgam Valley
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026
GS Paper 1:
Iranian conundrum
Source: TH
Subject: World History
Context: Iran is witnessing fresh nationwide unrest that began with bazaar shutdowns on 28 December 2025 amid a sharp rial collapse (market rate reported around ~1.45 million rials/USD).
About Iranian conundrum:
What it is?
• The “Iranian conundrum” refers to Iran’s recurring cycle of economic distress + political legitimacy stress + external pressure, where short-term control measures contain unrest, but structural causes (sanctions, inflation, governance constraints, factional power centres) keep reproducing crises.
Key recent incidents
• Bazaar-led trigger (Dec 2025): Tehran’s commercial districts saw merchant/shop closures protesting currency instability and rising costs.
• Rapid spread nationwide: What started as economic protest reportedly broadened into wider anti-government agitation across many locations.
• High-casualty crackdown claims: Iranian authorities and independent trackers have cited very different numbers (illustrating fog-of-war + information controls).
• Leadership context: President Masoud Pezeshkian (elected July 2024) operates within a system where key levers remain outside the presidency, complicating reform delivery.
History of Iran:
• Constitutional Awakening (1905–1911)
• Iran witnessed its first mass political movement demanding a Majlis (Parliament) and a written constitution. Though a constitution was created, royal authority and foreign interference (Britain & Russia) weakened genuine democracy.
• Iran witnessed its first mass political movement demanding a Majlis (Parliament) and a written constitution.
• Though a constitution was created, royal authority and foreign interference (Britain & Russia) weakened genuine democracy.
• Pahlavi Monarchy (1925–1979)
• Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah pursued rapid modernisation, centralisation and Westernisation. Oil wealth grew, but so did inequality, political repression and elite corruption. Democratic institutions remained weak, creating popular resentment.
• Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah pursued rapid modernisation, centralisation and Westernisation.
• Oil wealth grew, but so did inequality, political repression and elite corruption.
• Democratic institutions remained weak, creating popular resentment.
• Mossadegh and the 1953 Coup
• Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalised Iran’s oil, challenging British and US interests. He was overthrown in a CIA–MI6 backed coup, leaving Iranians deeply distrustful of foreign intervention.
• Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalised Iran’s oil, challenging British and US interests.
• He was overthrown in a CIA–MI6 backed coup, leaving Iranians deeply distrustful of foreign intervention.
• Islamic Revolution (1979)
• Popular anger against dictatorship, inequality and foreign dominance brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power. The monarchy was abolished and replaced by the Islamic Republic.
• Popular anger against dictatorship, inequality and foreign dominance brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power.
• The monarchy was abolished and replaced by the Islamic Republic.
• Post-Revolutionary Iran (1979–Present)
• Recurrent mass protests — 2009 (election), 2019 (fuel prices), 2022 (women’s rights), 2025–26 (economic collapse) — show persistent instability between state control and social aspiration.
• Recurrent mass protests — 2009 (election), 2019 (fuel prices), 2022 (women’s rights), 2025–26 (economic collapse) — show persistent instability between state control and social aspiration.
Current Governance Structure of Iran
• Supreme Leader (Ultimate authority)
• Heads the state and the Islamic system. Controls armed forces, judiciary, state media, and key security bodies. Has final say on foreign policy, defence and nuclear matters.
• Heads the state and the Islamic system.
• Controls armed forces, judiciary, state media, and key security bodies.
• Has final say on foreign policy, defence and nuclear matters.
• Elected Government (President & Parliament)
• President runs the executive, budgets and day-to-day governance. Majlis (Parliament) passes laws and approves ministers. Their powers are subordinate to clerical institutions and can be overruled.
• President runs the executive, budgets and day-to-day governance.
• Majlis (Parliament) passes laws and approves ministers.
• Their powers are subordinate to clerical institutions and can be overruled.
• Guardian Council (Gatekeeper of politics)
• 12 members (6 clerics + 6 legal experts). Approves or rejects election candidates (President, MPs, Assembly of Experts). Vets all laws passed by Parliament for Islamic and constitutional compliance.
• 12 members (6 clerics + 6 legal experts).
• Approves or rejects election candidates (President, MPs, Assembly of Experts).
• Vets all laws passed by Parliament for Islamic and constitutional compliance.
• Clerical Oversight Bodies
• Assembly of Experts appoints and theoretically can remove the Supreme Leader. Expediency Council resolves disputes between Parliament and Guardian Council and advises the Supreme Leader. These bodies ensure religious supremacy over elected institutions.
• Assembly of Experts appoints and theoretically can remove the Supreme Leader.
• Expediency Council resolves disputes between Parliament and Guardian Council and advises the Supreme Leader.
• These bodies ensure religious supremacy over elected institutions.
• Security–Economic Power Centres (IRGC & Bonyads)
• IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) controls major sectors of the economy, internal security and regional military operations. Bonyads (religious foundations) run large businesses with little accountability. Together they form a deep state that limits civilian and reformist control.
• IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) controls major sectors of the economy, internal security and regional military operations.
• Bonyads (religious foundations) run large businesses with little accountability.
• Together they form a deep state that limits civilian and reformist control.
Implications of the recent protests:
For India:
• Energy security: Gulf turbulence can affect oil supply stability and prices, directly impacting India’s inflation and current account.
• Diaspora & remittances: Wider West Asia instability threatens Indian workers and remittance flows.
• Connectivity strategy: Prolonged instability/sanctions complicate India’s access routes to Afghanistan/Central Asia and long-term projects with Iran.
• Domestic socio-political sensitivity: Events in Iran resonate with India’s sizeable Shia community and broader public discourse.
At the global level:
• Oil price + shipping risk: Any Hormuz-adjacent escalation can reprice energy and insurance risk worldwide.
• Great-power contestation: Iran becomes a pressure point in wider US-led sanction architecture and regional alignments.
• Norms of intervention: Open encouragement of protests by external actors can harden Iranian threat perceptions and intensify crackdowns.
Conclusion:
Iran’s crisis is no longer just “street unrest”; it is a structural stress test of currency credibility, governance capacity, and external-pressure resilience. Short-term containment may recur, but without durable economic normalisation, the cycle is likely to repeat. For India, the priority is risk insulation—energy buffers, diaspora safety, and calibrated regional diplomacy—while keeping long-term connectivity options alive.
Q. Iranian and Macedonian contacts with India influenced not only politics but also cultural symbolism. Examine how these interactions shaped Indian coinage and sculptural motifs. (10 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026 GS Paper 3:
India’s Focus on AI and Its Environmental Impact
Source: TH
Subject: Environment
Context: India is set to host the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where it will champion the “Planet Sutra”—a global mandate to ensure AI development aligns with resource efficiency and climate resilience.
About India’s Focus on AI and Its Environmental Impact:
• India is currently at a technological crossroads. While the IndiaAI Mission (2024) and the development of homegrown models like BharatGen (launched June 2025) aim for digital sovereignty, the physical infrastructure—data centers—is straining the nation’s resources.
Key Data & Facts:
• Energy Demand: Global ICT is responsible for up to 3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In India, data centre capacity is projected to reach 2,073 MW by 2027, an 85% increase from 2025 levels.
• Carbon Footprint: Training a single large AI model can emit over 626,000 pounds of CO2, equivalent to the lifetime emissions of five cars.
• Resource Intensity: A ChatGPT query consumes 10 times more electricity than a standard Google search.
• India’s Status: India has a 59% AI adoption rate, yet 50% of its data centers are located in extremely water-stressed regions like Bengaluru and Mumbai.
How AI Impacts the Environment?
• Massive Electricity Consumption: AI models require continuous high-density power for training and inference.
E.g. In Mumbai, the surge in AI-driven data centres has led to concerns over the city’s reliance on coal-based power to meet the 1,100+ MW load.
• Severe Water Scarcity: Cooling systems in data centres drink billions of liters of water to prevent hardware from melting.
E.g. In Bengaluru, data centres consume over 26 million liters of water annually, even as the city faced its worst water crisis in April 2024.
• Electronic Waste (E-waste) Explosion: The rapid obsolescence of AI-specific hardware (like GPUs) accelerates the toxic waste stream.
E.g. India generated 1.6 million metric tons of e-waste in 2024, with only a small fraction being formally recycled through pioneers like Attero.
• Carbon Emissions from Training: The computational brute force needed to train Large Language Models (LLMs) has a massive carbon price tag.
E.g. The development of sovereign LLMs in 2025 using thousands of GPUs has increased the Scope 2 emissions of Indian tech hubs.
• Natural Resource Depletion: Manufacturing AI chips requires rare earth minerals and ultrapure water.
E.g. India’s push for semiconductor fabrication (India Semiconductor Mission) in 2025 is raising concerns about groundwater depletion in manufacturing zones.
Challenges to Countering the Environmental Impact of AI:
• The Data-opaque problem: Because firms are not legally required to publish AI-model-wise energy and water use, sustainability reports hide the true ecological cost, preventing regulators and citizens from holding data centres accountable.
• The infrastructure–cooling paradox: In India’s hot climate, cooling high-performance GPUs consumes nearly as much power as computing itself, so expanding AI capacity actually multiplies electricity and water demand instead of just adding it.
• Fragmented regulatory frameworks: India’s EIA system is built for factories and mines, not for cloud-based AI firms, allowing massive GPU clusters to operate without environmental clearance despite their heavy digital carbon footprint.
• Hardware lifecycle & e-waste gap: AI chips become obsolete in 2–3 years, but India lacks advanced recycling plants to extract rare minerals, pushing toxic AI hardware into informal scrapyards that pollute soil and water.
• Energy-grid dependency: AI data centres need 24×7 stable power, but since India’s base-load electricity still comes mostly from coal and diesel backups, their green claims collapse whenever renewable supply fluctuates.
Solutions: The Way Forward
Global Context
• Legislative Action: The US AI Environmental Impacts Act of 2024 and the EU’s CSRD framework now mandate that tech giants disclose water and energy usage.
• UNESCO Recommendations: Over 190 countries have adopted non-binding ethics that emphasize AI’s “negative impacts on the environment.”
India’s Strategy
• Expanding EIA Scope: The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006 should be amended to mandate clearances for data centres exceeding 5 MW.
• ESG Disclosures: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs and SEBI can mandate Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE) reporting for AI companies.
• Adopting “Green AI”: Shifting from Red AI (resource-heavy) to Green AI, which prioritizes energy-efficient, pre-trained models.
• Renewable Integration: Incentivizing data centres to use 100% renewable energy, similar to the Haryana Water Resource Atlas (2025) approach for resource mapping.
• Standardized Metrics: Establishing national standards for Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) to move toward water-positive data centres.
Conclusion:
India must move beyond viewing AI only as a tool for economic growth and recognize it as a resource-intensive industry that requires strict regulation. By integrating environmental audits into the IndiaAI Mission, the country can lead the global south in sustainable innovation. Ultimately, the goal is Green AI—where technological progress does not come at the cost of the planet’s vital resources.
Q. Artificial intelligence can deepen existing gender inequalities if social structures remain unchanged. Examine this statement in the context of unpaid care work. Also assess its social implications. (10 M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Karuna Abhiyan
Context: Gujarat Chief Minister reviewed rescue operations under Karuna Abhiyan-2026 during the Uttarayan festival after a surge in bird injuries caused by kite strings, highlighting the state’s large-scale wildlife protection drive.
About Karuna Abhiyan:
What it is?
• Karuna Abhiyan is a state-wide wildlife rescue and rehabilitation campaign launched by Gujarat in 2017 to protect birds and animals injured during festivals, especially kite-flying during Uttarayan.
Key features:
• Massive rescue network: More than 700 veterinarians, 8,600+ volunteers and 1,000+ centres operate across Gujarat during the high-risk festival period.
• Dedicated wildlife infrastructure: Includes specialised Water Bird Units, mobile veterinary clinics, animal ambulances and branch clinics.
• 24×7 digital helplines: WhatsApp (8320002000), Forest emergency (1926) and Animal Husbandry helpline (1962) enable instant reporting and district-wise centre access.
• Inter-departmental coordination: Forest Department, Animal Husbandry, municipalities, NCC and NGOs work together for real-time response.
Significance:
• Karuna Abhiyan is India’s first state-driven festival-linked wildlife protection campaign, having rescued over 1.12 lakh animals and birds since 2017.
• It has become a national benchmark for humane wildlife governance, integrating technology, volunteers and public institutions to protect biodiversity during mass cultural events.
Relevance for UPSC Examination:
• GS-II (Governance) Cooperative governance between state agencies, municipalities and civil society Use of technology for public service delivery and grievance redressal
• Cooperative governance between state agencies, municipalities and civil society
• Use of technology for public service delivery and grievance redressal
• GS-III (Environment & Biodiversity) Wildlife conservation outside protected areas Human–wildlife interaction and festival-linked ecological risks
• Wildlife conservation outside protected areas
• Human–wildlife interaction and festival-linked ecological risks
• GS-IV (Ethics in Public Administration) Compassionate governance and ethical responsibility toward non-human life Public service values such as empathy, duty and environmental stewardship
• Compassionate governance and ethical responsibility toward non-human life
• Public service values such as empathy, duty and environmental stewardship
Responsible Nations Index
Context: The World Intellectual Foundation (WIF) will launch the Responsible Nations Index (RNI), in collaboration with JNU, IIM Mumbai and Dr Ambedkar International Centre.
About Responsible Nations Index:
What it is?
• The Responsible Nations Index is a global ranking framework that evaluates how responsibly countries govern their societies, protect the environment, and contribute to global stability.
Aim: To shift global benchmarking from pure economic or power-based rankings to a values-based assessment of how nations uphold human dignity, sustainability and international responsibility.
Key Features
• Covers 154 countries across the world
• Based on transparent, globally sourced data
• Built around three core dimensions: Internal Responsibility: dignity, justice, welfare of citizens Environmental Responsibility: climate action and natural resource stewardship External Responsibility: peace, cooperation and global stability
• Internal Responsibility: dignity, justice, welfare of citizens
• Environmental Responsibility: climate action and natural resource stewardship
• External Responsibility: peace, cooperation and global stability
• Designed to be comparable, objective and policy-relevant
Significance
• Introduces a new ethical lens to assess national performance beyond GDP or military power.
• Encourages countries to focus on human development, sustainability and global peace.
• Supports global goals like SDGs, climate commitments and human rights.
Relevance for UPSC Syllabus
• GS Paper II (Governance & International Relations)
• Linked to good governance, social justice, international cooperation and global ethics.
• Linked to good governance, social justice, international cooperation and global ethics.
• GS Paper III (Environment & Sustainable Development)
• Connects with climate responsibility, resource management and sustainability indicators.
• Connects with climate responsibility, resource management and sustainability indicators.
• GS Paper IV (Ethics)
• Reflects values of responsibility, accountability, global citizenship and moral governance.
• Reflects values of responsibility, accountability, global citizenship and moral governance.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: News on Air
Subject: International Organisation
Context: The 16th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) concluded in Abu Dhabi, calling for an accelerated global shift towards renewables.
About IRENA:
What is IRENA?
• The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is the world’s only intergovernmental organisation dedicated exclusively to renewable energy.
• It acts as the global hub for policy advice, technology cooperation, data, and investment support in clean energy.
Founded: 26 January 2009, Bonn (Germany)
• Statute entered into force: 8 July 2010
• India is a founding member of IRENA.
Headquarters: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi (UAE)
History:
• 1981 (Nairobi, UN Conference): First proposal for a renewable energy agency.
• 2004–2008: Renewed global push through Bonn, Beijing and Johannesburg summits.
• 2008 (Berlin & Madrid): Drafting of IRENA Statute and institutional framework.
• 2009 (Bonn): IRENA formally established by 75 founding states.
• 2011: IRENA became fully operational as a permanent international agency.
Aim of IRENA:
• To accelerate the global energy transition by promoting the widespread, sustainable and equitable use of renewable energy for:
• Climate change mitigation
• Energy access
• Energy security
• Green economic growth
Key Functions:
• Policy guidance: Advises countries on renewable energy policies, regulations and roadmaps.
• Data & analysis: Provides global datasets on renewables, costs, investments and energy transitions.
• Technology & innovation support: Promotes solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, hydro and ocean energy.
• Capacity building: Trains governments, utilities and institutions in clean-energy planning.
• Investment facilitation: Helps mobilise green finance for renewable projects, especially in developing countries.
• Global cooperation: Serves as the main multilateral platform for renewable energy diplomacy.
Significance of IRENA:
• Anchors the global clean-energy transition, especially for developing countries.
• Supports achievement of SDG-7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and Net-Zero targets.
• Reduces dependence on fossil fuels, strengthening energy security and climate resilience.
Havana Syndrome
Source: BS
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: Havana Syndrome is back in focus after the US Pentagon began testing a covertly acquired device emitting pulsed radio-frequency waves, which investigators believe could explain some unexplained illnesses.
About Havana Syndrome:
What it is?
• Havana Syndrome, officially termed Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs), refers to a set of unexplained neurological and physical symptoms first reported in 2016 by US diplomats in Havana, Cuba, and later by intelligence and military personnel across the world.
Symptoms:
• Severe headaches and migraines
• Dizziness, vertigo and nausea
• Ringing in ears (tinnitus)
• Memory loss and cognitive difficulties
• Balance problems and visual disturbances
• In some cases, symptoms similar to mild traumatic brain injury
Key Features:
• Global spread: Cases reported in Cuba, China, Europe, Russia, and the US.
• No visible injuries: Many affected showed brain-like trauma without physical impact.
• Possible directed energy link: Some scientific and intelligence assessments suggest pulsed radio-frequency or microwave energy as a possible cause.
• Uncertain attribution: US intelligence says a foreign attack is unlikely in most cases, though not fully ruled out.
• Ongoing investigation: A backpack-sized radio-wave emitting device is now being tested by the Pentagon.
Implications:
• Raises concerns about new-age warfare using invisible directed-energy weapons.
• Highlights vulnerabilities of diplomats and intelligence officers abroad.
• Complicates US–Russia and US–China relations, due to suspicions of foreign involvement.
• Has led to compensation laws, medical monitoring, and congressional inquiries in the US.
• Signals the emergence of non-traditional, deniable weapons in global security.
BRICS India 2026 Logo
Source: NIE
Subject: International Organisation
Context: India has officially launched the BRICS India 2026 logo and website as it prepares to assume the Chairship of BRICS in 2026.
About BRICS India 2026 Logo:
What it is?
• The BRICS India 2026 logo is the official visual identity of India’s BRICS Chairship, representing the country’s vision, values and priorities for leading the grouping in 2026.
2026 Host:
• Host country: India
• Chairship period: Calendar year 2026
• Milestone year: 20th anniversary of BRICS (2006–2026)
Logo Theme:
• The logo is inspired by India’s national flower – the Lotus, symbolising:
• Resilience and renewal Unity in diversity Spiritual and cultural harmony
• Resilience and renewal
• Unity in diversity
• Spiritual and cultural harmony
• At its core, the logo conveys “togetherness for global welfare”, aligning with India’s vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One Earth, One Family).
Key Features of the Logo:
• Lotus shape: Represents India’s civilisational identity and growth from adversity.
• Namaste hands at the centre: Symbolise respect, dialogue and cooperation.
• Five coloured petals: Represent the founding BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• Balanced design: Reflects unity among diverse cultures, economies and political systems.
• Digital platform: The accompanying BRICS India website will act as a hub for meetings, initiatives, outcomes and public engagement during India’s chairship.
Significance:
• Projects India’s leadership role in the Global South.
• Reinforces BRICS as a people-centric, development-oriented platform.
• Aligns with India’s four priorities for BRICS 2026: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
• Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
M.S. Sahoo Committee
Source: PIB
Subject: Economy
Context: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has set up an expert committee under M.S. Sahoo to design a framework for assured pension payouts under the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
About M.S. Sahoo Committee:
What it is?
• The M.S. Sahoo Committee is a 15-member expert group constituted to design a regulatory and operational framework for providing assured, predictable pension income under the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
Constituted by: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)
Chairperson: M.S. Sahoo, former Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)
Aim: To create a robust system of assured pension payouts under NPS that reduces market-linked risks and ensures stable and predictable post-retirement income for subscribers.
Key Functions:
• Create clear legal and financial rules for NPS plans that guarantee a fixed or predictable pension after retirement.
• Develop operational structures, including: Lock-in periods Withdrawal limits Pricing mechanisms Fee structures
• Lock-in periods
• Withdrawal limits
• Pricing mechanisms
• Fee structures
• Create safeguards to prevent mis-selling, misleading claims, or unfair practices by pension providers.
• Clearly define what is guaranteed (amount, duration, conditions) so subscribers are not misled about pension security.
• Ensure that NPS shifts from just being a savings product to becoming a reliable lifelong income system for retirees.
Significance:
• Addresses the core weakness of NPS as a market-linked defined contribution scheme with uncertain retirement income.
• Enhances financial security for India’s ageing population.
• Increases trust and participation in NPS among private-sector workers and the self-employed.
Jharkhand Megaliths
Source: TOI
Subject: Art and Culture
Context: Jharkhand has initiated a push to secure a UNESCO World Heritage Tag for its extensive megalithic landscapes, with Jharkhand CM highlighting them internationally at Davos and the UK.
About Jharkhand Megaliths:
What are they?
• Megaliths are large stone structures such as menhirs (standing stones), dolmens (table-like tombs), burial slabs, cairns and stone circles.
• They were built for burials, ancestor memory, rituals, boundary marking, and in some cases tracking the sun’s movement.
Region:
• Spread across many districts, especially: Ranchi–Khunti belt (e.g., Chokahatu) Hazaribagh region (monolith clusters and alignments) Chatra–Ramgarh–Lohardaga–Gumla–Simdega Singhbhum (Ho areas)
• Ranchi–Khunti belt (e.g., Chokahatu)
• Hazaribagh region (monolith clusters and alignments)
• Chatra–Ramgarh–Lohardaga–Gumla–Simdega
• Singhbhum (Ho areas)
• Many villages have dedicated burial grounds often locally known as hargarhi/hargarha.
History and cultural base:
• Jharkhand’s megaliths connect strongly with Adivasi life, especially Munda, Ho, Oraon and Asur traditions.
• Unlike many megalith sites that are only “old ruins”, Jharkhand has layered landscapes—old stones + new stones added over generations.
Key characters:
• Living megalithism: In some places, communities still place new memorial stones for ancestors—this continuity is globally rare.
• Local forms & names: Sasandiri: commonly used term for dolmen-type family burial structures. Birdiri/Biridiri: commonly used for memorial standing stones (menhirs).
• Sasandiri: commonly used term for dolmen-type family burial structures.
• Birdiri/Biridiri: commonly used for memorial standing stones (menhirs).
• Astronomy linkages: Some sites show deliberate alignment with equinox/solstice sunrise or sunset, acting like prehistoric calendars.
• Multiple functions: Not all stones are “tombs”—some served as commemorative markers, boundary stones, or observatory markers.
Significance:
• Preserves indigenous systems of memory, lineage and ritual—a living archive in stone.
• Provides rich material for studying prehistoric–historic transitions in eastern India.
• The “living tradition + large landscape + uniqueness” combination strengthens its case for global heritage recognition.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 January 2026 Mapping:
Shaksgam Valley
Source: NDTV
Subject: Mapping
Context: The Shaksgam Valley has returned to focus after China reaffirmed its territorial claims and defended infrastructure construction in the region, following India’s strong diplomatic protest.
About Shaksgam Valley:
What it is?
• Shaksgam Valley, also called the Trans-Karakoram Tract, is a high-altitude, sparsely inhabited region in the extreme north of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, claimed by India but administered by China after being transferred by Pakistan.
Located in:
• North of the Siachen Glacier
• Between the Karakoram and Kunlun mountain ranges
• Lies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Hunza-Gilgit region) but administered by China as part of Xinjiang (Taxkorgan and Yecheng counties)
History and Dispute:
• After Jammu & Kashmir acceded to India in 1947, India claimed sovereignty over Shaksgam.
• During the 1947–48 war, Pakistan took control of the area.
• Historically, the region was part of Baltistan/Ladakh, reflected in Balti and Ladakhi place names.
• British-era maps and surveys showed the region as part of Kashmir, though the boundary with China remained undefined.
Sino-Pakistan Frontier Agreement (1963):
• Signed on 2 March 1963 between China and Pakistan.
• Pakistan ceded 5,180 sq km of Shaksgam Valley to China.
• Article 6 of the agreement states that the boundary is temporary, and must be renegotiated after settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
• India rejected the agreement, calling it illegal, since Pakistan had no right to transfer Indian territory.
Current Status:
• Administered by China as part of Xinjiang
• Claimed by India as part of Union Territory of Ladakh
• Pakistan no longer controls it, but defends the 1963 agreement
• China is now building roads and infrastructure in the area
Significance:
• Lies close to Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.
• Sits near Aksai Chin and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes.
• Strengthens China–Pakistan strategic and military connectivity.
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