UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 14 June 2025

Offshore Security Coordination Committee

June 14, 2025

Offshore Security Coordination Committee Latest News

Recently, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) chaired the 137th meeting of the Offshore Security Coordination Committee (OSCC) in New Delhi.

About Offshore Security Coordination Committee

It was constituted in 1978 to ensure the effective functioning of offshore security arrangements.
Since then, the committee has contributed effectively in framing policies and providing guidance and resolution to Offshore Defence Area related issues.
It was constituted to ensure smooth and efficient functioning of offshore security arrangements, and to identify peace-time threats to offshore installations, such as terrorism and sabotage.
The OSCC develops contingency plans to be implemented by various agencies in respect of offshore security.
The exponential growth in the offshore Oil and Natural Gas sector has necessitated a manifold increase in the responsibilities of the ICG, in terms of responding to breaches of security, or likely threats, as well as fishing activity in the vicinity of oil platforms that could jeopardize safety.
Chairman: Director General, ICG

Key Facts about Indian Coast Guard

It is an armed force that protects India’s maritime interests and enforces maritime law, with jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
It was formally established in 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed force of India.
It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
It is headed by the Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG).
Headquarters: New Delhi.

Source: PIB

Offshore Security Coordination Committee FAQs

Q1: What is meant by territorial water?

Ans: Territorial waters are informally an area of water where a sovereign state has jurisdiction

Q2: What is an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?

Ans: EEZ, as defined under UNCLOS, is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country’s land coast in which that country retains exclusive rights to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources.

Totapuri Mangoes

June 14, 2025

Totapuri Mangoes Latest News

Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government has banned the entry of juicy Totapuri mangoes from other states into Chittoor district, a decision that has put it at loggerheads with neighbouring Karnataka.

About Totapuri Mangoes

Totapuri mangoes are primarily grown in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh and in parts of border districts in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
It is known for its elongated shape and distinct parrot beak-like tip (hence “Totapuri”), the variety is valued for its juice and pulp.
It is indigenous to South India and also known by other names such as Ginimoothi, Sandersha, Banglora.
Totapuri mangoes are used aplenty in mango drinks manufactured and distributed across the country.
These mangoes are largely supplied to processing units that extract mango pulp for commercial use, both domestically and internationally.

Climatic conditions required for Totapuri mangoes

Soil: Thrives in well-drained, loamy soils with a neutral to slightly acidic pH.
Climate: Best suited for tropical climates with moderate to high temperatures.

Nutritional Value of Totapuri mangoes

Vitamins: Rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A, supporting immune function and eye health.
Minerals: Contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which are vital for bone health and muscle function.
Antioxidants: Provides antioxidants that protect cells from damage and support skin health.

Source: IE

Totapuri mangoes FAQs

Q1: What is the king of all mangoes?

Ans: Alphonso mangoes

Q2: What is the meaning of Totapuri?

Ans: Parrot face

Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary

June 14, 2025

Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary Latest News

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a Divisional Level Committee to monitor the Eco-Sensitive Zone around the Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary

It is located in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is named after the twin lakes i.e. Surinsar and Mansar situated almost at two corners of the sanctuary separated by 16 km distance from each other.
The Sanctuary spreads over three districts vis-àvis Jammu, Udhampur and Samba. The major part of the sanctuary falls in the Jammu District.
Surinsar and Mansar lakes are included in the list of Ramsar sites in 2005.
The area forms one of the important catchments of river Tawi.
Topography: The topography of the area is hilly with moderate to steep slopes interspersed with small drainage nallas.
Vegetation: Northern dry mixed deciduous forests, Himalayan Sub-tropical Scrub Forests, Himalayan subtropical Pine Forest, Lower Siwalik Chir Pine forest, Dodonea scrub forests.
Fauna: The sanctuary is home of many important species including Blue bull/ Nilgai, Jackal, Indian barking deer, Leopard, Wild boar, Fox.
Flora: The principal species are Pinus rouxburgii, Acacia catechu, Lannea grandi, Mallotus philipenesis, Cassia fistula, Zizyphus jujuba, Dalbergia sissoo, Emblica officinalis.

Source: KL

Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary FAQs

Q1: Which animal is found in Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary?

Ans: The sanctuary harbors a mammal population of 8 species which includes Goral, wild boar, barking deer, leopard etc

Q2: On which river is Surinsar Mansar Lake situated?

Ans: River Tawi

Gyan Post Service

June 14, 2025

Gyan Post Service Latest News

Recently, the department of Posts has introduced ‘Gyan Post’, service to deliver educational books.

About Gyan Post Service

It is a dedicated postal service for affordable delivery of educational, cultural, social and religious books.
This initiative aligns with the objectives of the New Education Policy (NEP) and aims to bridge the educational divide by making printed educational material more accessible and affordable across India, including remote and rural areas.
It is operational through all Departmental post offices and is offering a traceable surface mail service for eligible book packets.

Salient Features of ‘Gyan Post’

It is available at all Departmental Post Offices w.e.f. 01 May 2025.
It will deliver non-commercial printed educational content only.
Minimum rate: 20 for packets up to 300 grams.
Maximum rate: 100 for packets up to 5 kilograms (excluding applicable taxes).
A tracking facility will be available to ensure transparency and reliability.
Strict eligibility: Only books without commercial ads or promotional content are accepted. Each item must bear the name of the printer or publisher.
Books and printed educational materials sent under 'Gyan Post' will be trackable and transported through surface mode to ensure cost-effective delivery.

Source: NA

Gyan Post Service FAQs

Q1: What is the meaning of the Gyan post?

Ans: Gyan Post will be a product under the mail services offered by the Department. of Posts, which allows the sender to post certain books and study material. through the post office.

Q2: Which ministry is the Department of Post under?

Ans: It is an organisation under the Ministry of Communications.

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau

June 14, 2025

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau Latest News

Recently, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) launched a formal investigation to determine what went wrong in Air India flight AI-17, operating a Boeing 787 crash.

About Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau

It is a government agency established in 2012 within the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Its primary responsibility is to investigate aircraft accidents and serious incidents in India’s airspace. The purpose is to determine how the accident happened and recommend safety improvements, not to assign blame or punish people.
Before AAIB, such investigations were handled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which also regulated airlines.

Mandate of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau

It is responsible for classification of ‘Safety Occurrences’ involving aircraft operating in the Indian Airspace into Accidents, Serious Incidents and Incidents.
All Accidents and Serious Incidents involving aircraft with AUW more than 2250 Kgs or Turbojet aircraft are investigated by AAIB.
AAIB may investigate serious incidents or incidents to aircraft apart from the ones mentioned above, if it appears expedient to hold an investigation into the circumstances of such serious incident or incident.
As per the Rule 3 of Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 the sole objective of the investigations carried out by AAIB is prevention of accidents and incidents and not to apportion blame or liability.

Key functions of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau

Investigate all aircraft accidents and serious incidents in Indian airspace
Collect evidence (black boxes, flight data, witness statements)
Analyze causes and issue safety recommendations
Publish final reports for global aviation authorities
After completion of the investigation and acceptance of the same by the Director General, AAIB, the Investigation Reports are made public and published by AAIB on its website.
The accepted ‘Final Investigation Reports’ are also forwarded to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the States participating in the investigation.

Source: LM

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau FAQs

Q1: What is the role of DGCA?

Ans: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation, primarily dealing with safety issues.

Q2: What is the International Civil Aviation Organization?

Ans: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a United Nations agency which helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit.

Zero-Coupon Bonds

June 14, 2025

Zero-Coupon Bonds Latest News

Recently, Power Finance Corporation withdrew zero-coupon bonds issuance due to weak investor demand.

About Zero-Coupon Bonds

These are a debt instrument that does not pay periodic interest but is issued at a discount rate to its face value.
These are also known as discount bonds, are issued at a discount on the bond’s face value and do not pay periodic interest to bondholders.
They offer payment at face value at maturity so zero-coupon bonds tend to fluctuate in price on the secondary market much more than coupon bonds.

Advantages of Zero Coupon Bonds

Varied investment horizon: These bonds suit investors with long-term and short-term investment motives.
Less risky: These bonds are considered less risky than coupon bonds, as the investors have to buy and leave them until maturity.

Disadvantages of Zero Coupon Bonds

Period: It is only suited for long-term investment purposes. People with short-term motives cannot invest in these bonds.
No regular income: The investor does not get a fixed, steady income from such bonds.

What is a Bond?

A bond is a financial instrument that promises a fixed return (face value) at the end of a specific period, unlike equity, which has no fixed term or guaranteed returns.
Bonds are generally safer investments used to hedge against risks or act as a store of value.
Bonds are used by companies, municipalities, states and sovereign governments to raise money to finance a variety of projects and activities.

Source: BS

Zero-Coupon Bonds FAQs

Q1: What is a disadvantage of zero coupon bonds?

Ans: Volatility and interest rate risk

Q2: Who can issue zero coupon bonds?

Ans: Zero coupon bonds are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the Central Government

Silver Notice

June 14, 2025

Silver Notice Latest News

Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) successfully got India’s first ‘silver notice’ issued by Interpol, which will enable the CBI to trace proceeds of crime related to the French embassy visa ‘fraud’ case.

About Silver Notice

It is the latest addition to Interpol’s suite of colour-coded alerts, designed to help countries track and retrieve criminally obtained assets.
It allows participating nations to request information on assets linked to criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, and environmental crimes.
It aimed at tracing assets laundered across international borders.
It is part of a pilot project involving 52 countries, including India, was launched following a request from Italy to locate the assets of a senior mafia member.
The project will run until at least November 2025, with 500 notices available for distribution among the participating countries.

How does it work?

Countries can use the Silver Notice to request information on various assets, including properties, vehicles, financial accounts, and businesses connected to criminal activities.
The notice facilitates the identification and location of these assets, enabling further legal action, such as seizure or confiscation, subject to national laws.
India is a participant in this pilot project and stands to benefit significantly.
Benefit to India: With numerous fugitive economic offenders and a substantial amount of unaccounted black money transferred offshore, the Silver Notice could be instrumental in tracing and recovering these assets.

Source: TOI

Silver Notice FAQs

Q1: What is a silver notice?

Ans: The Silver notice is a colour-coded notice introduced by the Interpol in January this year to track the movement of illicit assets across the globe.

Q2: What is the full form of Interpol?

Ans: Our full name is the International Criminal Police Organization

Agentic AI

June 14, 2025

Agentic AI Latest News

Recently, India's first agentic AI, Kruti, was launched by Krutrim start up.

About Agentic AI

It is a more advanced GenAI tool.
These intelligent systems go beyond analysis, acting autonomously on behalf of individuals and organisations to manage complex tasks, make decisions, and solve problems.
It uses sophisticated reasoning and iterative planning to autonomously solve complex, multi-step problems.
This systems ingest vast amounts of data from multiple data sources and third-party applications to independently analyze challenges, develop strategies and execute tasks.

Agentic AI’s Features Include

Proactive: It uses dynamic reasoning to interpret user queries, identify goals, and solve problems as they arise.
Action-driven: It prioritizes taking actions and is integrated with your backend systems and tools to autonomously carry them out.
Retentive memory: It has both short and long-term memory to help contextualize and personalize interactions with customers.

Key Features about the Kruti Agentic AI

It can book cabs, pay bills, generate images and support 13 Indian languages using a localised LLM.
The platform also includes features such as read-aloud responses and free access to premium AI capabilities like research and image creation.
Kruti understands both voice and text input, remembers past interactions and tailors responses in tone, length and language, including 13 Indian languages.
It learns user preferences, adapts to usage over time and integrates with various apps and services to deliver context-aware assistance with minimal effort.
Kruti also includes a fully embeddable software development kit (SDK), allowing developers to integrate large language model orchestration, memory handling and tool execution with minimal code.

Source: BS

Agentic AI FAQs

Q1: What is the difference between Generative AI and agentic AI?

Ans: In essence, while GenAI focuses on creating, agentic AI focuses on doing. Generative AI's output is new content, while agentic AI's output is a series of actions or decisions.

Q2: What is meant by agentic AI?

Ans: Agentic AI is a class of artificial intelligence that focuses on autonomous systems that can make decisions and perform tasks without human intervention.

Emperor Penguin

June 14, 2025

Emperor Penguins Latest News

Recently, a study revealed that emperor penguins are the iconic species threatened by climate change in Antarctica.

About Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest penguin alive today.
They evolved about one million years ago, and are highly adapted to life in one of Earth’s harshest environments.
Distribution: They are found throughout the Antarctic continent and sub-Antarctic islands.
Breeding: In breeding months (April to November), emperor penguin colonies are found between 66° and 78° south latitude along the Antarctic coastline.
Habitat: It is the most ice-adapted of any penguin species, inhabiting pack ice and surrounding marine areas. They spend their entire lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters.

Features of Emperor Penguins

Adults are coloured black and white with areas of orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast.
They gain and lose weight rapidly during breeding and feeding seasons. On average, females tend to weigh less than males.
They have two layers of feathers, a good reserve of fat, and proportionally smaller beaks and flippers than other penguins to prevent heat loss.
They also huddle close together in large groups to keep themselves and each other warm.
They are capable of diving to depths of approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) in search of food; they are the world’s deepest-diving birds.
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Source: DTE

Emperor Penguins FAQs

Q1: What are Penguins?

Ans: Penguins are flightless birds with flippers instead of wings. Their bodies are adapted for swimming and diving in the water. Penguins are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. The greatest concentrations are on Antarctic coasts and sub-Antarctic islands.

Q2: What Is Climate Change?

Ans: Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions.

What is Ocean Darkening?

June 14, 2025

Ocean Darkening Latest News

A new study seems to suggest that more than one-fifth of the global ocean has considerably darkened in the last two decades.

About Ocean Darkening

Darkening of the ocean is essentially shrinking of the photic zones or those layers of water where sunlight can pass and induce the process of photosynthesis which is key to all biological processes.
The photic layers can go down to about 200 meters and they also act as a base for nearly 90 per cent of the world’s marine life.
This layer is responsible for increasing the productivity of the ocean which also involves regulating climate and even supporting global fisheries or related activities.
A new study seems to suggest that more than one-fifth of the global ocean has considerably darkened in the last two decades.

Why is Ocean Darkening happening?

In coastal zones, darkening is usually due to higher runoff of agricultural nutrients, organic matter, and sediments into the ocean with rain which directly promotes algal blooms that block light.
In the open ocean, the likely causes are changes in plankton dynamics, increase in sea surface temperature and changes in ocean circulation.

Impacts of Ocean Darkening

The contraction of photic zones may lead to fundamental shifts in marine ecosystems. Those species that use sunlight and moonlight cues to feed, move, hide, and reproduce will be competing for shallower zones.
This might upset marine food webs that are already working hard against an ecosystem with minimal fishing activity.

Source: IE

Ocean Darkening FAQs

Q1: Why is the ocean getting darker?

Ans: Ocean darkening occurs when changes in the optical properties of the ocean reduce the depth of its photic zone.

Q2: What is Phytoplankton?

Ans: Phytoplanktons are microscopic plants, but they play a huge role in the marine food web.