UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 1 July 2025

Financial Stability Report 2025

July 1, 2025

Financial Stability Report Latest News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently released the Financial Stability Report for June 2025.

About Financial Stability Report

It is a biannual report released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
It reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on the resilience of the Indian financial system and risks to financial stability.

Highlights of Financial Stability Report for June 2025

The Indian economy remains a key driver of global growth on the back of sound macroeconomic fundamentals and prudent policies.
The headwinds from protracted geopolitical tensions, elevated uncertainty and trade disruptions, and weather-related uncertainty pose downside risks to growth.
The non-performing loans ratio is currently at a multi-decadal low, and the economy and financial system are relatively well positioned to bear the tariff-induced shocks.
The report said that the gross non-performing asset (GNPA), which is currently as of March 2025 at 2.3% levels, in the baseline scenario, could increase to 2.5% level.
GNPAs for 46 banks accounting for 98 percent of the total assets of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), may rise to 2.6 percent by March 2027.
Capital adequacy across the banking sector remains well above regulatory thresholds, giving banks sufficient buffers to withstand adverse scenarios.
Even under severe stress test conditions, the capital adequacy ratios of banks would stay comfortably above minimum requirements, a strong signal of the sector’s preparedness to absorb economic shocks.
India's growth is largely dependent on domestic demand, and the outlook for food inflation remains favorable as the prices have started to soften and the crop production is at a record level.
On the domestic front, the financial system remains stable, with healthy balance sheets of both banks and non-banking financial institutions.
NBFCs remain healthy with good capital buffers, robust earnings, and improving asset quality.

Source: LIVEM

Financial Stability Report FAQs

Q1: Who releases the Financial Stability Report (FSR)?

Ans: It is a biannual report released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Q2: According to FSR June 2025, the current Gross Non-Performing Asset (GNPA) ratio as of March 2025 stands at:

Ans: 2.3%

Q3: What is the status of capital adequacy across the Indian banking sector, as per the recent Financial Stability Report?

Ans: Well above regulatory thresholds.

Q4: According to the recent Financial Stability Report, what trend is observed in food inflation?

Ans: Softening with record crop production.

Q5: What does the recent Financial Stability Report say about the health of NBFCs?

Ans: Stable with improving asset quality and strong capital buffers

INS Tabar

July 1, 2025

INS Tabar Latest News

The Indian Navy's INS Tabar responded swiftly to rescue crew members in the Gulf of Oman as a fire broke out on an oil vessel recently.

About INS Tabar

INS Tabar (F44) is the third of the Talwar-class frigates of the Indian Navy.
It was built for the Indian Navy in Russia.
It was commissioned in 2004. It is among the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy.
The ship is part of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet, which is based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command.
It was the first naval vessel to take deterrent action against piracy and has thereafter successfully foiled several pirate attacks.
The ship is equipped with sophisticated missile systems, radar technology, electronic warfare suites, and aviation assets, including helicopters.
The ship is also outfitted with advanced firefighting and damage-control capabilities, making it capable of handling emergency scenarios.
It has a complement of 280 personnel. The crew is specially trained to carry out rescue missions, environmental protection duties, and humanitarian assistance operations, in addition to traditional naval warfare tasks.

Source: CNBC

INS Tabar FAQs

Q1: INS Tabar is part of which class of frigates in the Indian Navy?

Ans: Talwar-class

Q2: In which country was INS Tabar built?

Ans: Russia

Q3: When was INS Tabar commissioned into the Indian Navy?

Ans: 2004

Q4: INS Tabar is part of which fleet of the Indian Navy?

Ans: Western Fleet

Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2024

July 1, 2025

Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2024 Latest News

The details of new Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries and new records were released by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recently.

About Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2024

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the country’s premier institution for faunal exploration and research, publishes Animal Discoveries every year detailing the new discoveries of fauna.
Similarly, the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the country’s premier organisation for plant research and taxonomy, publishes Plant Discoveries every year detailing the new discoveries of flora.

Highlights of Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2024

India added 683 new species to its fauna in the year 2024, which included 459 new species and 224 species new records.
The country also added 433 taxa of flora during the same period, which included 410 species and 23 infra-specific taxa of plants.
The maximum number of new discoveries of fauna in 2024 was recorded from Kerala—with 101 species (80 new species and 21 new records)—followed by Karnataka—82 (68 new species and 14 new records). Tamil Nadu recorded 63 discoveries, with 50 new species and 13 new records.
In the eastern and northeastern parts of the country, Arunachal Pradesh recorded 72 animal discoveries (42 new species and 30 new records), Meghalaya 42 new discoveries (25 new species and 17 new records), and West Bengal 56 new discoveries (25 new species and 31 new records).
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, another biological hotspot in the country, recorded 43 new discoveries of fauna from the region, which included 14 new discoveries of fauna and 29 new records.
The significant faunal discoveries for the year 2024 include two new genus and 37 species of reptiles and five new species of amphibians.
The significant discovery of reptiles included Dravidoseps gouensis, belonging to the new genus, and Anguiculus dicaprioi is a member of the Colubridae family, named after Hollywood star, Leonardo Di Caprio.
In terms of plant discoveries, the highest number of flora discovered was from Kerala (58), followed by Maharashtra (45) and Uttarakhand (40).
The new plant discoveries for 2024 record 154 angiosperms, 4 pteridophytes, 15 bryophytes, 63 lichens, 156 fungi, 32 algae and 9 microbes.
The hotspot regions, such as the Western Ghats and the North-Eastern regions, have contributed 35% of total discoveries.
The plant discoveries for the year 2024 include wild relatives of many potential horticultural, agricultural, medicinal, and ornamental plants such as begonia, impatiens (balsams), legumes, zingibers, orchids, etc.
In terms of flora, the significant discoveries include important orchid species such as Bulbophyllum gopalianum, Coelogyne tripurensis, Gastrodia indica, and Gastrodia sikkimensis.
Several new species belonging to important plant groups such as legumes, zingers, grasses, etc, were also discovered.

Source: TH

Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2024 FAQs

Q1: How many new species and new records of fauna were added in India in 2024?

Ans: 459 new species and 224 new records

Q2: Which state recorded the highest number of faunal discoveries in 2024?

Ans: Kerala

Q3: What was the total number of floral taxa added in India in 2024?

Ans: 433

Q4: Which state recorded the highest number of new plant discoveries in 2024?

Ans: Kerala

Q5: The newly discovered flora in 2024 included the highest number from which plant group?

Ans: Angiosperms

Space-Based Surveillance-III Programme (SBS-III)

July 1, 2025

Space-Based Surveillance-III Programme

The Union government recently ordered the fast-tracking of the launch of 52 dedicated surveillance satellites under the SBS-III programme.

About Space-Based Surveillance-III Programme

It was approved in October 2023, by the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security to develop next-generation satellites over the next decade.
It involves the construction and launch of 21 satellites by India’s space agency, ISRO, and 31 by three private companies.
The first satellite is expected to be launched by April 2026, with the full constellation targeted for completion by the end of 2029.
The aim of SBS-3 is to cover much larger areas of China and Pakistan, as well as the Indian Ocean Region, with shorter revisit times (interval between two consecutive surveillance sweeps of the same location) and much better resolution. The space doctrine is also being fine-tuned.
It enables the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force to monitor adversary movements deep inside hostile territory — including airfields, bases, and staging areas.
These new satellites will utilise AI and will be able to interact with each other and thus gather GeoIntelligence more effectively.
A crucial aspect of the project is the planned transfer of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology from ISRO to private players, which will allow for rapid satellite launches during emergencies.
The satellites will operate in both low Earth and geostationary orbits, providing comprehensive coverage and countering China's advanced anti-satellite capabilities, including kinetic and electronic warfare systems.
The project cost of SBS-III is pegged at ₹26,968 crore.
The Defence Space Agency (DSA), which functions under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) of the Ministry of Defence, is leading the project.
- Formed in 2019, the DSA replaced the Integrated Space Cell and now oversees India’s military space operations.
- It coordinates with ISRO, DRDO, and the armed forces to develop space warfare strategies and safeguard national space assets.

Source: TH

Space-Based Surveillance-III Programme FAQs

Q1: When was the Space-Based Surveillance-III (SBS-III) programme approved?

Ans: October 2023

Q2: What is the total number of satellites planned under the SBS-III programme?

Ans: 52 satellites — 21 by ISRO and 31 by private companies.

Q3: What is the main objective of the SBS-III programme?

Ans: Surveillance of China, Pakistan, and the Indian Ocean Region with high resolution and short revisit times.

Q4: Which agency is leading the SBS-III project?

Ans: The Defence Space Agency (DSA), which functions under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) of the Ministry of Defence, is leading the project.

Q5: What is the estimated total cost of the SBS-III programme?

Ans: ₹26,968 crore

At Sea Observer Mission

July 1, 2025

At Sea Observer Mission Latest News

Recently, QUAD nations launched first-ever ‘At Sea Observer Mission’ to boost maritime cooperation.

About At Sea Observer Mission

It was launched by the QUAD nations i.e the Coast Guards of India, Japan, the United States, and Australia.
It aims to stride toward strengthening maritime security and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific, under the Wilmington Declaration.
Two officers, including women officers from each country have embarked on board US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Stratton, which is currently sailing to Guam.
The cross-embarkation mission marks an unprecedented step in QUAD Coast Guard collaboration, enhancing joint readiness, operational coordination, and domain awareness in support of a Free, Open, Inclusive, and Rules-Based Indo-Pacific.
The mission reflects the vision laid out at the QUAD Leaders’ Summit in September 2024 and signifies a deepening of operational ties between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Japan Coast Guard (JCG), US Coast Guard (USCG), and Australian Border Force (ABF).
India’s participation reinforces its strategic maritime vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and complements national efforts under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), with an emphasis on capacity-building, humanitarian outreach, and maritime rule of law.
The QUAD at Sea initiative sets the foundation for a ‘QUAD Coast Guard Handshake,’ fostering stronger trust, coordination, and collective resilience amid evolving maritime challenges in the region.

Source: PIB

At Sea Observer Mission FAQs

Q1: What are the 4 countries in QUAD?

Ans: India, Australia, Japan, and the United States

Q2: What is the full form of QUAD?

Ans: QUAD Quadrilateral Security Dialogue

India Energy Stack

July 1, 2025

India Energy Stack Latest News

Recently, the Ministry of Power has announced the launch of a task force to conceive the India Energy Stack (IES).

About India Energy Stack

It is a pioneering initiative aimed at creating a unified, secure, and interoperable digital infrastructure for India's energy sector.
It is a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that will provide a standardised, secure, and open platform to manage, monitor, and innovate across the electricity value chain.
This initiative is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Power.
The India Energy Stack will offer:
- Unique IDs for consumers, assets, and transactions
- Real-time, consent-based data sharing
- Open APIs for seamless system integration
- Tools for consumer empowerment, market access, and innovation
Apart from conceiving the IES, the Ministry will undertake a 12-month Proof of Concept (PoC) to demonstrate IES through real-world use cases in partnership with selected utilities.
This includes piloting the Utility Intelligence Platform (UIP), a modular, analytics-driven application built on IES to support utilities, policymakers, and consumers with real-time insights and smarter energy management.
To guide these above initiatives, the Ministry has constituted a dedicated Task Force comprising experts from the technology, power sector, and regulatory domains, which will steer the development, pilot implementation, and nationwide scale-up of the India Energy Stack.

Source: PIB

India Energy Stack FAQs

Q1: What is India's energy stack?

Ans: It an initiative aimed at creating a unified, secure, and interoperable digital infrastructure for the country's energy sector.

Q2: What do you mean by digital public infrastructure?

Ans: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a set of foundational digital systems that forms the backbone of modern societies. DPI enables secure and seamless interactions between people, businesses and governments.

Essential Tremors

July 1, 2025

Essential Tremors Latest News

Recently, a person suffering successfully underwent the relatively new Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) procedure for his essential tremors.

About Essential Tremors

It is a neurological disorder that causes hands, head, trunk, voice or legs to shake rhythmically.
It is most common among people older than 65, but it can affect people at any age.
It is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting around 1% of the general population worldwide.

Causes of Essential Tremors

The cause of essential tremor is unknown. However, one theory suggests that your cerebellum and other parts of your brain are not communicating correctly. The cerebellum controls muscle coordination.
In most people, the condition seems to be passed down from a parent to a child.
And also, if parents have ET, there is a 50% chance that children will inherit the gene responsible for the condition.
The prevalence increases with age, with approximately 5% of individuals over the age of 60 experiencing it.
Treatments: There’s no cure for essential tremor, but there are ways to treat it. The main treatment options are medications, assistive devices, botulinum toxin, deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound.

Key facts about MRgFUS

MRgFUS intervention is a non-surgical procedure that uses focused ultrasound waves guided by MRI to target brain tissue responsible for tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor.
It is currently approved for Essential Tremor (ET) and Tremor-Dominant Parkinson’s Disease (TD-PD), this technique offers new hope for patients whose symptoms significantly disrupt daily life.
MRgFUS treatment targets a key relay centre in the brain i.e thalamus.
Focused ultrasound energy is used to thermally ablate this specific area, leading to a marked reduction—and in many cases, near-complete resolution—of tremors, often within the same session.

Source: TH

Essential Tremors FAQs

Q1: What is meant by an essential tremor?

Ans: Essential tremor (ET) is a neurological disorder that causes your hands, head, trunk, voice or legs to shake rhythmically.

Q2: What is a Neurological Disorder?

Ans: Neurological disorders are medically defined as disorders that affect the brain as well as the nerves found throughout the human body and the spinal cord.

Cell Broadcasting System

July 1, 2025

Cell Broadcasting System Latest News

The Department of Telecommunications and NDMA are testing a new Cell Broadcast system to deliver real-time disaster alerts across India, enhancing emergency communication.

About Cell Broadcasting System

It is a technology used by mobile network operators to broadcast text messages to mobile users that are located in specific geographical areas.
The typical use for these kinds of messages is to send emergency alerts to mobile users.
In India, it is being tested as part of the government’s broader initiative to enhance real-time dissemination of critical alerts during emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning strikes, and industrial hazards.
The system is being indigenously developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
Unlike SMS alerts, CB messages are broadcast to all mobile phones in a specific area, ensuring rapid delivery even in congested networks.
The technology enables alerts to reach citizens almost instantly, making it highly effective during time-sensitive disasters.
This new system is in addition to the already-operational Integrated Alert System (SACHET), which has delivered over 6,899 crore SMS alerts in more than 19 Indian languages across all 36 States and Union Territories.
SACHET is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), as recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Once fully operational, the CB system will broadcast alerts in multiple Indian languages to all mobile users, ensuring broad and inclusive public reach.

Source: PIB

Cell Broadcasting system FAQs

Q1: What is the purpose of Cell Broadcast?

Ans: To send emergency alerts to mobile users.

Q2: What is Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)?

Ans: It is the premier R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.

Altermagnets

July 1, 2025

Altermagnets Latest News

Scientists have spotted a fascinating and previously unobserved electrical and thermal transport phenomenon in the high-quality single-crystalline altermagnet CrSb.

About Altermagnets

Altermagnets are a newly discovered class of magnetic materials that enjoy the best properties of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets.
They do not show any net magnetism externally, but deep inside, their electrons behave in ways that can be incredibly useful—especially for futuristic technologies like spintronics (manipulating the spin of electrons instead of their charge).

Properties of Altermagnets

Altermagnets defy conventional norms by embodying a dual nature—resembling antiferromagnets with zero net magnetization and ferromagnets with non-relativistic spin splitting.
This unique behavior emerges from the intricate interplay of atoms within the crystal structure.
Additionally, altermagnets exhibit a unique spin polarization. The term “spin polarization” means that a preponderance of electron spins tends to align in a particular direction.
The spin polarization is noteworthy in altermagnets because it occurs in the physical arrangement of atoms (real space) and in the momentum space, where the distribution of electron spins in the material is considered.
The researchers believe that altermagnets could have a pivotal role in spin caloritronics, a field of research that explores the interplay between spin and heat flow, which are not achievable with ferromagnets or antiferromagnets.
This field has potential applications in developing new technologies for information processing and storage.

Altramagnetism in Chromium Antimonide

Among the known altermagnets, chromium antimonide (CrSb) is truly remarkable.
It is metallic, with the magnetic order sustaining up to more than two times that of room temperature and the largest altermagnetic spin-splitting, equivalent to more than 30 times that of room temperature.
CrSb is one of the very few materials known to exhibit direction-dependent conduction polarity property and, notably, the first Altermagnet to do so.
These outstanding attributes make CrSb the most promising altermagnetic candidate for practical applications.
CrSb is made of earth-abundant and non-toxic elements, making it an environmentally friendly option for future electronics. Combined with its altermagnetic properties.

Source: PIB

Altermagnets FAQs

Q1: What are altermagnets used for?

Ans: There are applications of magnetic properties and magnetic measuring techniques to problems in wider areas, such as in metallurgy or in chemistry.

Q2: Where is magnetism used in real life?

Ans: Magnets are used in sound devices like microphones, electric systems, radio and television, automobiles, refrigerators.

Mud Volcano

July 1, 2025

Mud Volcano Latest News

The Wandan mud volcano recently erupted in Taiwan, sending bubbling mud shooting into the air as locals ignite ejected gases with burning rags.

About Mud Volcano

A mud volcano is a small volcano-shaped cone of mud and clay, of height usually less than a few meters, and often a few decimeters.
It is built by a mixture of hot water and fine sediment that either pours gently from a vent in the ground, like lava fluid flow, or is ejected into the air like a lava fountain by escaping volcanic gas and boiling water.
The craters are usually shallow and may intermittently erupt mud.
These eruptions continuously rebuild the cones, which are eroded relatively easily.
The term "mud dome" is similar to that of mud volcano. It refers to land formations created by geologically excreted liquids and gases, with temperatures much cooler than comparable igneous processes.
The gases released are usually methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, and the liquid is usually water, frequently acidic or salty.
Mud volcanoes, also known as "sedimentary volcanoes" or "gas-oil volcanoes," are close cousins to magmatic volcanoes.
Like magmatic volcanoes, they can erupt powerfully and hurl flames to great heights, sometimes even several hundred meters.
They spew out millions of cubic meters of hydrocarbon gases and tons of mud.
Mud volcanoes also exist on the floor of the sea and can form islands and banks that alter the topography and shape of the coastline.
Approximately 1,000 mud volcanoes have been identified on land and in shallow water.
- In Europe and Asia, mud volcanoes are known to exist in southeastern Ukraine, Italy, Romania, Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, and China.
- In North and South America, mud volcanoes have been documented in Alaska, California, the Island of Trinidad, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Source: LS

Mud Volcano FAQs

Q1: What is a mud volcano primarily made of?

Ans: Hot water and fine sediment.

Q2: Which gases are commonly released by mud volcanoes?

Ans: Methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.

Q3: Approximately how many mud volcanoes have been identified globally (on land and in shallow water)?

Ans: 1,000