UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 11 July 2025

Medium Altitude Long Endurance Drone

July 11, 2025

Medium Altitude Long Endurance Drone Latest News

India has accelerated the procurement of 87 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones from local manufacturers.

About Medium Altitude Long Endurance Drone

MALE drones are unmanned Ariel vehicles that have the capability to fly over 30 hours at a maximum altitude of at least 35,000 feet.
These drones are equipped with advanced surveillance and combat capabilities: including real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in all kinds of terrain.
These will enhance surveillance along its sea and land borders.
Purpose of Medium Altitude Long Endurance Drones: Primarily used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions.
Strategic Importance: These drones will enhance the surveillance capabilities of all three services, especially the Indian Air Force to monitor the Eastern and Western Border
The procurement of 87 drones is aimed at bolstering real-time monitoring and operational readiness across critical areas.
The 87-drone MALE project serves two parallel aims: fill the medium-altitude tier between smaller tactical UAVs and the high-altitude Guardians, and indigenise a capability so far dominated by Israeli imports.

Source: TH

Medium Altitude Long Endurance Drone FAQs

Q1: Which Israeli drone does India use?

Ans: Harop drones

Q2: What are the 4 types of drones?

Ans: Drones are primarily classified into four types: single-rotor, multi-rotor, fixed-wing, and hybrid VTOL drones.

Lake Turkana

July 11, 2025

Lake Turkana Latest News

Recently, scientists have extracted 18-20 million-year-old enamel proteins from extinct mammal fossils from the Lake Turkana Basin.

About Lake Turkana

Location: It is located in the remote northern region of Kenya.
It lies in the Eastern Rift Valley with its far northern end extending to Ethiopia.
Three rivers, including Omo, Turkwel, and Kerio flow into the lake, but only the Omo River is perennial, contributing 90 percent of the inflow of water each year.
It stands as Africa’s fourth-largest lake and the largest permanent desert lake in the world.
It is designated as the UNESCO World Heritage site and is renowned for its unique biodiversity and cultural significance.
It is lying in a hot, arid, and remote region, and provides resources for communities on the lakeshore and surrounding areas.
The estimated population of the Turkana region is approximately 1 million people, whose livelihoods are based on pastoralism, fishing, and, to a lesser extent, crop farming.
Issues: Its semi-saline waters, driven by high evaporation rates and fluctuating lake levels of up to 8 meters per decade, have historically hindered sustainable development initiatives.
Several past attempts to commercialize the fishery have largely failed, mainly due to a lack of understanding of the volatile conditions of this capricious lake.

Source: TH

Lake Turkana FAQs

Q1: What is another name for Lake Turkana?

Ans: Lake Turkana also known as the Jade Sea.

Q2: Is Lake Turkana a depression lake?

Ans: The lake lies in a broad, arid depression surrounded by late Cenozoic fluvial, lacustrine, and volcanic sequences.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon

July 11, 2025

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Latest News

Recently, researchers from Australia, Sweden, and the UK studied the indenyl cation, C9H7+ and revealed how Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons molecules survival in Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC1).

About Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are flat, ring-shaped molecules of carbon and hydrogen.
Astronomers think they make up a fifth of all carbon in interstellar space.
There is a hypothesis that meteors brought PAHs from space to young earth and created the first building blocks of life, attaching important value to their ability to survive in space.
They have a relatively low solubility in water but are highly lipophilic and are soluble in most organic solvents.
These hydrocarbons, on earth, are formed through incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic materials, such as fossil fuels and biomass
When PAHs collide with other particles or absorb high-energy radiation, they can have more internal energy than their weakest chemical bond can handle.

Key Facts about Taurus Molecular Cloud 1

It is a molecular cloud located in the constellation Taurus about 430 lightyears away from Earth.
It is a collection of gas, dust, and plasma.
It is known for its cold and dense conditions, which are favorable for the formation of complex molecules.
The cloud is primarily composed of molecular hydrogen (H2), with other molecules such as carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH3), and various organic compounds also present.
In Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC1), small closed-shell PAHs — molecules whose electrons are in pairs — appear in greater quantities even though they are constantly exposed to starlight that should have destroyed them.
The team found that the PAHs have a mechanism to cool rapidly, letting them accumulate in TMC1 over time.

Source: TH

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon FAQs

Q1: What is an example of a PAHs?

Ans: PAHs comprise a group of over 100 different chemicals that are produced during the incomplete burning of fuels, garbage or other organic substances such as tobacco, plant material or meats.

Q2: What is the most toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon?

Ans: Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)

Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR)

July 11, 2025

Enforcement Case Information Report Latest News

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against 29 individuals, including actors, television hosts, social media influencers, and YouTubers, for allegedly promoting illegal betting applications.

About Enforcement Case Information Report

The ECIR is a formal entry of the complaint lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Whenever the ED receives information about the commission of an offence of money laundering, it is converted into a formal report known as the ECIR.
It serves as a starting point for ED’s proceedings, including the attachment of assets and arrests.
There is no mention of the ECIR in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA Act), or Rules.
Since the PMLA does not necessitate the registration of ECIR, it is considered a non-statutory document.
However, as per the practice of ED, the ECIR is lodged before taking any action under the PMLA Act.
The ECIR under the PMLA Act is similar to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Police for cognizable offences.
However, the Supreme Court held that an ECIR cannot be equated with an FIR, which is mandatorily required to be recorded and supplied to the accused.
As per the ED, ECIR is a document meant for identification of a particular case and for departmental convenience and is purely an internal document.
ED is not legally bound to provide a copy of the ECIR to the accused.
Since ECIR lacks statutory status, there is no requirement to quash them.

Key Facts about Enforcement Directorate

The Directorate of Enforcement or Enforcement Directorate (ED) is a domestic law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency.
It was established in the year 1956 with its Headquarters at New Delhi.
It is responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crimes in India.
It is responsible for inspecting and taking legal action involving economic crimes, money laundering, corruption, and breaches of foreign exchange laws.
Nodal Ministry: Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
Objectives of the ED: The prime objective of the Enforcement Directorate is the enforcement of three key Acts of the Government of India, namely:
- Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA),
- Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), and
- Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA).

Source: TH

Enforcement Case Information Report FAQs

Q1: Which agency files an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR)?

Ans: Enforcement Directorate (ED)

Q2: Is Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) mentioned in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA Act)?

Ans: There is no mention of the ECIR in the PMLA Act.

Q3: What is the nature of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR)?

Ans: Non-statutory internal document.

Q4: What is the purpose of filing an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) by the ED?

Ans: To initiate proceedings under money laundering laws.

Zonal Councils

July 11, 2025

Zonal Councils Latest News

The Union Home Minister recently said zonal councils have transformed from being mere discussion forums into “engines of cooperation”, noting that 83% of issues taken up in their meetings have been resolved.

About Zonal Councils

The idea of the creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, in 1956.
The Zonal Councils are the statutory bodies.
Five zonal councils were set up in 1957 under Sections 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
Objective: To provide a common meeting ground to the states and UTs in each zone for resolution of interstate and regional issues, fostering balanced socio-economic regional development and building harmonious Centre- State relations.
The present composition of each of these five Zonal Councils is as follows:
- Northern Zonal Council: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Chandigarh.
- Central Zonal Council: Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
- Eastern Zonal Council: Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.
- Western Zonal Council: Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
- Southern Zonal Council: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
North Eastern Council:
- The North Eastern States, i.e. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, are not included in the Zonal Councils, and their special problems are looked after by the North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.
- The State of Sikkim has also been included in the North Eastern Council vide the North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002, notified on 23rd December 2002.
Each Zonal Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which some or all of the States represented in that council, or the Union and one or more of the States represented in that Council, have a common interest and advise the Central Government and the Government of each State concerned as to the action to be taken on any such matter.

Zonal Councils Organisational Structure

Chairman: The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.
Vice Chairman: The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as vice-chairman of the zonal council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time.
Members: Chief Minister and two other ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the States and two members from Union Territories included in the zone.
Each Zonal Council has set up a Standing Committee consisting of Chief Secretaries of the member States of the respective Zonal Councils.
The Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues or to do necessary groundwork for further meetings of the Zonal Councils.
Senior officers from the NITI Aayog (erstwhile Planning Commission), Central Ministries, and State Governments are associated with the meetings depending upon necessity.

Source: IE

Zonal Councils FAQs

Q1: Is the zonal council a statutory body?

Ans: Yes, the Zonal Council is a statutory body.

Q2: How many Zonal Councils are there in India?

Ans: There are six Zonal Councils in India.

Q3: Who acts as the Chairman of Zonal Councils?

Ans: The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.

Q4: Who acts as the Vice Chairman of a Zonal Council?

Ans: Chief Minister of a state in the zone, by rotation.

Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API

July 11, 2025

Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API Latest News

Google recently launched the Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API that provides information on crops and field activity across India.

About Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API

AMED is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based open-source application programming interface (API) launched by Google.
It provides field-level crop data, specifically helping in monitoring crops and detecting agricultural events at individual fields across India.
The AMED API details the type of crop on a given field, crop season, and the field’s size and also provides historical information about the agricultural activity on it for the last three years.
These insights can help significantly improve agricultural management on farms and also address the specific needs of each crop – including the right soil and water conditions, growth patterns, and climatic needs – as well as predict crops’ harvest volume.
Google will be sharing the AMED API for agriculture startups to find more innovative solutions to improve the agriculture ecosystem.
AMED API data is also refreshed nearly every two weeks, enabling the ecosystem partners leveraging AMED API access to continuously updated information that accounts for field-level changes.
AMED API builds on the Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API that the company launched last year.
- It uses satellite imagery and AI to map field boundaries and land use across India.

Source: TH

Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API FAQs

Q1: Who launched the Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API?

Ans: Google

Q2: What is the primary purpose of the Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API?

Ans: It provides field-level crop data, specifically helping in monitoring crops and detecting agricultural events at individual fields across India.

Q3: What kind of information can Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) API provide about agricultural fields?

Ans: Type of crop, season, field size, and harvesting timelines.

Earth Intelligence

July 11, 2025

Earth Intelligence Latest News

Recently, Gartner forecasted that Earth Intelligence will offer a $20 billion new revenue growth opportunity for Technology and service providers through 2030.

About Earth Intelligence

It indicates the application of AI to Earth observation data to deliver solutions specific to industries and business functions.
It is the practice of combining data from satellite imagery and remote sensors with social, economic, and policy information to generate actionable insights about our planet.
It encompasses gathering and providing Earth observation data, fit-for-purpose transforming it, and then using it to produce actionable insights with domain-specific AI models, tools and applications.
It is the next step in this process, transforming raw data into actionable insights by integrating Earth and social science, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and co-produced knowledge from local and Indigenous communities.
It can identify fallen trees blocking railroad tracks after a storm, monitor the temperature of every metal refinery to assess global production, count vehicles to analyse traffic patterns and consumer trends, and track sea cargo to evaluate shipping activity.
It would significantly impact every industry as it rapidly moves from government to the private sector.
Significance: Earth Intelligence represents a shift from simply providing data to ensuring that data is accessible, understandable and useful to decision-makers across all levels, from governments and businesses, from NGOs to local communities.

Source: TH

Earth Intelligence FAQs

Q1: What are Earth observation data?

Ans: Earth Observation ( EO ) is the process of gathering information about the Earth's surface, waters and atmosphere via ground-based, airborne and/or satellite remote sensing platforms

Q2: What is artificial intelligence?

Ans: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies that enable computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to see, understand and translate spoken and written language, analyze data, make recommendations, and more

Laughing Dove

July 11, 2025

Laughing Dove Latest News

An uncommon, partially white small pigeon called a laughing dove was recently spotted in the Nagamalai hillock forest near Nambiyur in Erode.

About Laughing Dove

It is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent.
Scientific Name: Spilopelia senegalensis
Other names include laughing turtle dove, palm dove, and Senegal dove, while in India the name of little brown dove is often used.
Distribution:
- The species is found in much of sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
- It is also found in Israel, Lebanon, Syria, the UAE, and Turkey (these populations may be derived from human introductions).
- It was also introduced in Western Australia.
Habitat: It is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground.

Laughing Dove Features

It is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 25 cm in length.
Its back wings and tail are reddish-brown with blue-grey in the wings.
In flight, the underwings are rich chestnut.
The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to whitish on the lower abdomen.
There is black spotting on the throat. The legs are red.
Juveniles are more rufous than adults, and have reduced throat spotting.
They are fairly terrestrial, foraging on the ground in grasslands and cultivation.
They are not particularly gregarious, and are usually alone, or in pairs.

Laughing Dove Conservation Status

It is classified as 'Least Concern' under the IUCN Red List.

Source: NIE

Laughing Dove FAQs

Q1: What is the scientific name of the Laughing Dove?

Ans: Spilopelia senegalensis

Q2: What is the habitat of Laughing Dove?

Ans: Dry scrub and semi-desert areas

Q3: What is the IUCN status of the Laughing Dove?

Ans: Least Concern

World Population Day 2025

July 11, 2025

World Population Day Latest News

This year's World Population Day will take place on Friday, July 11, 2025, with the theme "Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world".

About World Population Day (WPD)

Observed annually on July 11, World Population Day is a United Nations initiative aimed at raising awareness about the challenges and opportunities of global population growth.
With the world population now surpassing 8.2 billion, the day highlights the importance of sustainable development, equitable access to resources, reproductive rights, and gender equality.
World Population Day 2025 Theme: ‘Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world’.

World Population Day History

WPD was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, following the global interest generated by "Five Billion Day" on 11 July 1987, when the world's population reached 5 billion.
Dr KC Zachariah, a senior demographer at the World Bank, suggested that this day be commemorated.
In December 1990, the UN General Assembly decided to keep celebrating WPD annually to promote understanding of population issues and how they connect to the environment and development.
The first WPD was celebrated on July 11, 1990, in over 90 countries.

Key Facts on World's Population

The world's population has increased by over three times since the middle of the 20th century.
According to the UN, there were 8.2 billion people on the planet as of July 2025.
The population is predicted to peak at 10.4 billion in the middle of the 2080s, having reached 9.7 billion in 2050.
India leads globally with 1.46 billion people, followed by China's 1.41 billion.
India’s total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level.
India’s population is expected to grow to approximately 1.7 billion before beginning to decline around 40 years from now, as stated in the UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 2025 State of World Population Report.

Source: IE

World Population Day FAQs

Q1: When is World Population Day observed annually?

Ans: July 11

Q2: What global milestone inspired the observance of World Population Day?

Ans: It was established by the UNDP in 1989, following the global interest generated by "Five Billion Day" on 11 July 1987, when the world's population reached 5 billion.

Q3: What is the theme of World Population Day 2025?

Ans: Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world

TALASH Initiative

July 11, 2025

TALASH Initiative Latest News

Recently, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the TALASH initiative.

About TALASH Initiative

The Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub (TALASH) is a national- program to support the all-round development of students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).
It was launched by National Education Society for Tribal Students in partnership with UNICEF India.
It aims to improve both the education and personal growth of tribal students across India.
The name TALASH, reflects a focused search for self-awareness, life skills, and career clarity among tribal youth.
The first initiative of its kind in India is aimed specifically at tribal students.
It is expected to benefit over 1,38,336 students enrolled in EMRSs across 28 States and 8 Union Territories, making it a truly national movement for inclusive education.

Features of TALASH Initiative

It is an innovative digital platform designed to equip EMRS students with essential tools for self-discovery and career planning.
It promotes self-awareness, helps students make informed career choices, and builds essential life skills.

The Initiative Offers

Psychometric Assessments: Inspired by NCERT’s ‘Tamanna’ initiative, TALASH offers a common aptitude test to help understand each student’s strengths and interests. Based on the test results, students receive Career Cards that suggest the best career options suited to their skills and abilities.
Career Counselling : The platform guides students toward informed career decisions, helping them align their aspirations with their aptitudes.
Life Skills & Self-Esteem Modules: It has special sections that help students learn important life skills like solving problems, communication skills, and handling emotions.
E-Learning for Teachers: A specialized portal equips educators with resources and training to effectively mentor and support students in their academic and personal journeys.

Source: PIB

TALASH Initiative FAQs

Q1: What is National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS)?

Ans: It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, dedicated to providing quality education to tribal students through Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) across India.

Q2: What is Eklavya model residential school scheme?

Ans: Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) are set up in States/UTs with grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India. EMRSs provide free education to ST children from class VI to XII in residential set up. The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.