UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 15 February 2026

Urban Challenge Fund

February 15, 2026

Urban Challenge Fund Latest News

Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister of India approved the launch of the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF).

About Urban Challenge Fund

It is a new centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
It aims to build resilient, productive, inclusive and climate-responsive cities, positioning those as key driver of the country’s next phase of economic growth.
Financial Outlay: Total Central assistance of ₹1 lakh crore.
Tenure: It will be operational from FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31, with an extendable implementation period up to FY 2033–34.

Features of the Urban Challenge Fund

A minimum of 50 per cent of project financing has to be mobilised from market sources, including municipal bonds, bank loans and Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs).
- The remaining share may be contributed by States, Union Territories (UTs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) or other sources.
Projects will be selected through a transparent and competitive challenge mode, ensuring support to high-impact and reform-oriented proposals.
Focus area: A strong thrust on reforms across Urban Governance, Market & Financial systems, Operational efficiency, and Urban Planning
A dedicated ₹5,000 crore corpus will enhance the creditworthiness of 4223 cities including Tier- II and Tier-III cities, particularly for first-time access to market finance.
The Fund will cover:
- All cities with a population of 10 lakh or more (2025 estimates);
- All State and Union Territory capitals not covered above; and
- Major industrial cities with a population of 1 lakh or more
- Additionally, all ULBs in hilly States, North-Eastern States, and smaller ULBs with population below 1 lakh will be eligible for support under the Credit Repayment Guarantee Scheme.

Source: PIB

Urban Challenge Fund FAQs

Q1: What is the primary objective of the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF)?

Ans: To support transformative and bankable urban projects

Q2: Which cities are eligible for the Urban Challenge Fund?

Ans: Cities with a population above 10 lakh, state capitals, and major industrial cities

Cheer Pheasant

February 15, 2026

Cheer Pheasant Latest News

Recently, it is observed that hunting and habitat degradation remain the biggest threats of ground-dwelling Cheer Pheasant.

About Cheer Pheasant

It is also known as Wallich's pheasant or chir pheasant, belongs to the pheasant family, Phasianidae.
Habitat: It is found in steep, rocky hillsides studded with scrub, stunted trees and grassy slopes between 1,200 and 3,350 metres.
Distribution: Western Himalaya from northern Pakistan through Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to central Nepal.

Characteristics of Cheer Pheasant

The cheer pheasant’s nest is a simple ground scrape, tucked beneath undergrowth or sheltered by rocks.
It exhibits high natal philopatry—individuals often return to, or remain near, the area where they were born to breed.
It depends on early successional grasslands created by traditional grass cutting and burning—practices.
Diet: It depends on items such as roots, tubers, bulbs, buried seeds and possibly insect larvae and earthworms.

Conservation Status of Cheer Pheasant

IUCN: Vulnerable
CITES: Appendix I
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Source: DTE

Cheer Pheasant FAQs

Q1: What is the conservation status of Cheer Pheasant?

Ans: Vulnerable

Q2: Where is the primary habitat of Cheer Pheasant?

Ans: Steep, rocky hillsides with scrub and grassy slopes

Army Ant Species

February 15, 2026

Army Ant Species Latest News

Researchers from Karnataka and Odisha have discovered two new species of army ants namely Aenictus chittoorensis and Aenictus lankamallensis in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.

About Army Ant Species

Army ants are defined as a nomadic species of ants that lack a permanent nest.
They belong to one of the subfamilies of ants called the Dorylinae.
Habitat: Army ants are highly aggressive predators found mainly in tropical ecosystems.

Characteristics of Army Ant Species

They do not build permanent nests.
They form temporary living structures known as ‘bivouacs’, made entirely from the bodies of worker ants.
They are social insects, form massive colonies that conduct coordinated raids, consuming insects and small animals in their path.
They are distinguished by their large, sharp mandibles, stinging ability and heavy reliance on chemical pheromones to navigate and communicate.
These ants are practically blind and rely on a pheromonal system with which they mark their paths and by which they follow paths taken by others.
They have a single queen ant who lays all the eggs and female workers that tend the young and collect food for the colony.
Ecological Role: As keystone predators they play a critical role in regulating arthropod populations and shaping forest biodiversity by consuming large quantities of invertebrates on a daily basis.

Source: DH

Army Ant Species FAQs

Q1: What is unique about Army Ant colonies?

Ans: They form massive colonies with coordinated raids

Q2: How do Army Ants primarily communicate?

Ans: Through pheromones

PM-DAKSH Scheme

February 15, 2026

PM-DAKSH Scheme Latest News

Recent data released in the Lok Sabha revealed that Less than half of the students trained under the PM-DAKSH scheme between 2021 and 2024 were placed.

About PM-DAKSH Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalata Sampanna Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana, is a Central Sector Scheme that was launched during 2020-21.
Aim: To provide skills through good quality institutions so that candidates from its target group can find employment.
- There are four types of skill development training programmes under this namely, Up-skilling/Re-skilling, Short Term Training Programmes, Long Term Training Programmes, and Entrepreneurship Development Programme.
Target Group: Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Castes, Economically Weaker Sections, and the De-notified Tribes in India (DNTs), ‘Safai Karamcharis’ or waste pickers.
Eligibility
- Age: 18-45 years
- OBC and EWS candidates must have a family income below Rs. 3 lakh, while there is no income limit for SC, DNT, or Safai Mitras/Waste Pickers.
It has been merged with the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Source: TH

PM-DAKSH scheme FAQs

Q1: Who is eligible for PM-DAKSH Scheme?

Ans: Marginalised persons of SC, OBC, EBC, DNT, and sanitation workers

Q2: What is the objective of PM-DAKSH Scheme?

Ans: To provide skill development training to marginalized groups⁵

Papikonda National Park

February 15, 2026

Papikonda National Park Latest News

The adult male tiger, named ‘Explorer’, was reintroduced into the wild in the Papikonda National Park (PNP) in Andhra Pradesh as part of Operation Stripes.

About Papikonda National Park

Location: It is located in the East Godavari and West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh.
It lies along the banks of the Godavari River.
Terrain: It encompasses a rugged landscape with steep slopes, hills, and deep valleys.
Mountains: There are 62 named mountains in the park. Devara Konda is the highest point. The most prominent mountain is Verala Konda.
It has been recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International.
Vegetation: The park is characterized by tropical, moist deciduous forests mixed with patches of semi-evergreen and dry deciduous forests.
Flora: The park is home to several types of trees, including teak, rosewood, sandalwood, bamboo, eucalyptus, sal, mahua, pterocarpus, terminalia, and cassia.
Fauna: Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, sloth bear, and Indian wild dog (dhole).
- A unique dwarf breed of goat known locally as the “kanchu mekha” originates in this region.

Source: TH

Papikonda National Park FAQs

Q1: Which river flows through Papikonda National Park?

Ans: Godavari River

Q2: What is the main attraction of Papikonda National Park?

Ans: Four Horned Antelope

Chincha Kingdom

February 15, 2026

Chincha Kingdom Latest News

New archaeological evidence reveals that seabird guano – nutrient-rich bird droppings - may have been a major factor in the rise of Peru’s precolonial Chincha Kingdom.

About Chincha Kingdom

The 'Chincha Kingdom,' which was established in the coastal region of modern-day Peru, was a powerful ancient state that flourished before the rise of the Inca Empire.
It ruled the Chincha Valley, about 130 miles south of Lima (capital of Peru).
The Chincha Kingdom and its culture were very strong between 900 CE and 1450 CE. This time is known as the Late Intermediate Period in pre-Columbian Peru.
It was a large-scale society comprising an estimated 100,000 people.
It was organised into specialist communities such as fisherfolk, farmers, and merchants.
The Chinchas did not build enormous cities but left important marks in their religious and administrative constructions.
Their temples, palaces, and fortresses were built mainly with adobe, a technique they mastered skillfully.
They applied stucco to decorate walls, shaping figures of fish heads, gannets, and seabirds.
The dwellings of most of their inhabitants were built around these enclosures, made with mats and reeds.
An important old ruin linked to the Chincha is La Centinela, found near the city of Chincha Alta.
Decline:
- Conquered by the Inca Empire around 1476 CE.
- Later affected by Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
  The population drastically declined due to diseases and colonization.
A new analysis suggests that the secret to the Chincha Kingdom's prosperity was seabird droppings (guano).
- The analysis indicates that the nutrient-rich droppings, high in nitrogen, acted as a fertilizer, increasing corn yields and significantly contributing to the economic development of the time.

Source: EA

Chincha Kingdom FAQs

Q1: Where was the Chincha Kingdom established?

Ans: It was established in the coastal region of modern-day Peru.

Q2: During which period did the Chincha Kingdom flourish?

Ans: It flourished between 900 CE and 1450 CE.

Q3: How was Chincha society organized?

Ans: It was organized into specialist communities such as fisherfolk, farmers, and merchants.

Q4: What is an important archaeological ruin linked to the Chincha Kingdom?

Ans: La Centinela is an important ruin linked to the Chincha Kingdom.

Q5: Why did the population of the Chincha Kingdom drastically decline?

Ans: The population declined due to diseases and colonization.