On May 23, 2025, India and the world witnessed significant developments across various sectors. The 16th Lion Census 2025 has shown encouraging signs for lion conservation in India. At the same time, a global marine study has revealed that clownfish shrink in size during marine heatwaves, raising concerns about climate change impacts on marine life. In maritime news, INSV Kaundinya, an Indian Navy sailing vessel, is set to take on a significant ocean expedition, showcasing India's naval strength and commitment to adventure sailing. On the cultural front, India has made history in literature as "Heart Lamp" by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, won the International Booker Prize 2025, marking a proud moment for Indian languages and global recognition of regional literature.

Awareness regarding daily UPSC current affairs is crucial for cracking the UPSC Prelims, excelling in UPSC Mains. It helps perform well in the UPSC personality test, thus becoming an informed and effective UPSC civil servant.

Below are the current affairs and headlines of the day taken from The Hindu, Indian Express, Press Information Bureau & All India Radio as required for UPSC preparation:

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16th Lion Census, 2025

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Environment) 

In News:

• The Gujarat Forest Department released findings from the 16th Lion Census (2025).

• It revealed a 32% increase in the lion population over five years (2020– 2025), bringing the total to 891 lions.

• Notably, more lions now reside outside protected areas, raising concerns about human-wildlife conflict.

• This growth comes alongside the approval of Project Lion, a ₹2,900 crore conservation initiative.

Details Related to the 16th Lion Census (2025)

• Total Population: 891 lions (compared to 674 in 2020).
• Growth Rate: 32% increase over five years.
• Adult Females: Increased by 27%, now numbering 330 — an indicator of future reproductive potential.
• Lion Distribution:
  • Gir National Park and Paniya WLS: Core area; 394 lions (source population).
  • Beyond Protected Areas: More lions are now found outside designated wildlife zones.
• Territorial Range:
  • 2020: 30,000 sq. km
  • 2025: 35,000 sq. km (a 16.67% increase in range)
  • Reflects continued dispersal and territory expansion into agricultural lands, scrublands, and human-use areas.

Clownfish shrink in size during marine heatwaves

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Environment) 

In News:

• A new study published in Science Advances revealed that adult clownfish shrink in size during marine heatwaves to adapt to thermal stress.

• The research was conducted during the 2023–2024 global coral bleaching event, which impacted 84% of the world's coral reefs across 83 countries and territories.

• The study highlights a novel survival mechanism in clownfish and raises concerns about the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity.

Key Findings

• 71% of females and 79% of males shrank at least once.
• 41% of all fish shrunk over multiple months.
• Fish that never shrank had the highest mortality.
• Single shrinking episodes reduced death risk by 78%.
• Fish that shrank multiple times had 100% survival, especially if both partners shrank together, lowering metabolic load and social conflict.
• Reproductive Trade-off: Although shrinking improves survival, smaller fish lay fewer eggs, potentially lowering future reproduction.
• Significance: Challenges the belief that vertebrates stop changing in size after maturity, showing that adult fish can shrink and regrow flexibly under environmental stress.

INSV Kaundinya

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper II (Security) 

In News:

• The Indian Navy formally inducted the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Kaundinya, a recreation of a 5th-century stitched ship as depicted in Ajanta cave paintings.

• This initiative is part of a broader effort to revive and showcase India’s ancient maritime heritage, involving the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations.

Details Related to INSV Kaundinya

INSV Kaundinya is a stitched sail ship based on an artistic depiction in the Ajanta Caves (5th century CE).

• Constructed by artisans from Kerala using traditional shipbuilding methods like:
  • Stitching wooden planks with coir rope
  • Use of natural resin, coconut fiber, and cotton sails
• Inducted at the Karwar Naval Base, Karnataka.
• Decorative motifs:
  • Gandabherunda (two-headed eagle – Kadamba dynasty symbol)
  • Simha Yali on the bow
  • Harappan-style stone anchor on the deck
• Scientific Validation: Since no blueprints or models survived, design was based on:
  • Ajanta painting analysis
  • Ancient texts like Yuktikalpataru
  • Foreign traveller records mentioning stitched Indian ships
• Upcoming Voyage:
  • INSV Kaundinya will undertake a transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman in late 2025.
  • The voyage aims to retrace ancient trade routes used by Indian mariners in antiquity.

International Booker Prize 2025

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper I (Art & Culture) 

In News:

• Banu Mushtaq, a Kannada writer, lawyer, and activist, won the 2025 International Booker Prize for her short story collection “Heart Lamp”, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi.

• This marks:

• The first-ever win for Kannada at the International Booker Prize.

• The first time a short story collection has won the prize in its history.

Key Details related to Heart Lamp

• Language: Originally written in Kannada.
• Publication Period of Stories: Written between 1990 and 2023.
• Recognition: Hailed for its nuanced portrayal of Muslim women’s lives and radical translation that introduced “a plurality of Englishes.”
  • Issues of faith, gender, inequality, and daily oppression.
  • The pain and resilience of women caught between religion, tradition, and modernity.