UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August (2025)
• Navigating the New Techno-Capitalist World Order
Navigating the New Techno-Capitalist World Order
GS Paper 3:
• Money Laundering via Cryptocurrency
Money Laundering via Cryptocurrency
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Necropolitics
Necropolitics
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme
Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme
• Ectopic PregnanciesCarriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025
Ectopic PregnanciesCarriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025
• Vanatara Zoo
Vanatara Zoo
• WHO officially classified Hepatitis D virus as carcinogenic
WHO officially classified Hepatitis D virus as carcinogenic
• Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
• Great Recall Vote
Great Recall Vote
Mapping:
• Bhalukona–Jamnidih block
Bhalukona–Jamnidih block
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025
#### GS Paper 2:
Navigating the New Techno-Capitalist World Order
Syllabus: International relations
Source: IE
Context: The global technological landscape is undergoing a radical shift driven by a new techno-capitalist philosophy emerging from the United States, symbolised by the Trump administration’s aggressive AI and cryptocurrency policies.
About Navigating the New Techno-Capitalist World Order:
What is Techno-Capitalism?
• Definition: A system where technology and capital are co-architects of power, with the state acting not as a regulator but as an enabler of private tech monopolies.
• Core Features: Deregulation of AI and fintech sectors. Massive public-private investment flows. Alliance between state and Silicon Valley elites (“tech broligarchy”). Technological dominance as a geopolitical strategy, not a developmental ideal.
• Deregulation of AI and fintech sectors.
• Massive public-private investment flows.
• Alliance between state and Silicon Valley elites (“tech broligarchy”).
• Technological dominance as a geopolitical strategy, not a developmental ideal.
E.g.: The Trump administration’s AI push dismantles regulation and promotes AI-led manufacturing with billions in capital—prioritising power over global norms.
Global Shifts in Tech Ecosystems: US, China, and India
United States:
• Trajectory: Shift from state-led NASA-era science to private sector-led innovation (e.g., SpaceX).
• Current Trend: Techno-capitalism enabling strategic dominance through AI, crypto, and fintech.
• Ideological Engine: Peter Thiel’s vision blending libertarianism and techno-nationalism.
China:
• Model: Mission-driven, centralised technological expansion under state control.
• Focus Areas: AI, space technology, digital surveillance, and the Digital Silk Road.
India:
• Status: Hybrid model with slow private sector integration.
• Strengths: Robust IT services, expanding space sector (e.g., ISRO reforms), digital public goods (e.g., UPI, Aadhaar).
• Weaknesses: Underinvestment in R&D, weak higher education linkages, regulatory uncertainty, and slow scale-up of startups.
India–US Technology Cooperation: From Scientific Idealism to Strategic Realism
• Past: SITE project (1975) embodied Cold War-era scientific internationalism.
• Breakdown: Post-1974 nuclear test distrust led to decades of stalled collaboration.
• Renewal: The ICET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) under Biden revived cooperation.
• New Tension: Divergences on trade, Russia, Pakistan, and Trump’s America-first techno-policy challenge continuity.
India’s Emerging Challenges in the Techno-Capitalist Order:
• AI and Job Displacement: Automation in AI threatens traditional IT-BPO jobs. India’s services-based export economy is vulnerable. E.g.: Generative AI tools replacing human coders, translators, and customer support.
• Automation in AI threatens traditional IT-BPO jobs.
• India’s services-based export economy is vulnerable.
• E.g.: Generative AI tools replacing human coders, translators, and customer support.
• H-1B Visa Uncertainty: US techno-nationalism may curtail Indian tech migration. Impact: Weakens India’s soft power and tech remittance base.
• US techno-nationalism may curtail Indian tech migration.
• Impact: Weakens India’s soft power and tech remittance base.
• Investment Deficit in R&D: India invests less than 0.7% of GDP in R&D vs. US (3.5%) and China (2.4%). Implication: Limits capacity for cutting-edge innovation.
• India invests less than 0.7% of GDP in R&D vs. US (3.5%) and China (2.4%).
• Implication: Limits capacity for cutting-edge innovation.
• Fragmented Tech Regulation: Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) is a step, but lacks clarity on AI ethics, crypto law, and deep tech compliance.
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) is a step, but lacks clarity on AI ethics, crypto law, and deep tech compliance.
• Lack of Strategic Start-Up Scale: Indian start-ups face capital shortages, market barriers, and exit limitations. Contrast: US tech firms benefit from DoD contracts, national data policies, and deep capital pools.
• Indian start-ups face capital shortages, market barriers, and exit limitations.
• Contrast: US tech firms benefit from DoD contracts, national data policies, and deep capital pools.
Way Forward: Strategic Reorientation for India
• National Tech-Industrial Strategy:
• Integrate defence, space, AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing in a coordinated plan.
• Provide incentives and sandbox frameworks for domestic champions.
• Reform Research and Higher Education:
• Link universities with industry and mission-mode projects (e.g., AI in healthcare, space, agri-tech).
• Create elite innovation clusters modelled on Silicon Valley and Shenzhen.
• Rethink India-US Tech Engagement:
• Move beyond transactionalism to strategic co-innovation.
• Protect domestic tech autonomy while ensuring access to global capital and standards.
• Regulate for Innovation, Not Control:
• Build smart regulation that encourages crypto and AI innovation while mitigating systemic risks.
• Ensure open standards, consumer rights, and cross-border data protocols.
• Human Capital Re-skilling:
• Launch a National AI Reskilling Mission for the IT workforce.
• Integrate GenAI, cybersecurity, robotics in school and college curricula.
Conclusion:
The techno-capitalist order being shaped by America’s new tech elite and state synergy is not just a policy trend—it is a civilisational pivot. India stands at a crossroads. Either it becomes a strategic player in the global digital economy, or it risks being a peripheral exporter of outdated tech services. A coherent innovation strategy, investment in people, and strategic diplomacy are India’s tools to remain sovereign and competitive in this new global reality.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025 GS Paper 3:
Money Laundering via Cryptocurrency
Syllabus: Internal Security
Source: TOI
Context: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided 11 locations in Delhi-NCR and Dehradun in a ₹260 crore global cyber fraud case, where scammers posed as fake police and laundered extorted funds using cryptocurrencies and hawala networks.
About Money Laundering via Cryptocurrency:
What is Money Laundering via Cryptocurrency?
Money laundering through cryptocurrency involves routing illegally obtained funds via digital currencies like Bitcoin, Monero, or USDT to obscure the origin, convert to fiat, and reintegrate into the financial system.
Key Features:
• Anonymity at source: No physical identity is required to create crypto wallets.
• High speed & scale: Transactions can be automated and executed globally within seconds.
• Low cost: Thousands of transfers can occur using simple computer scripts.
• Cross-border ease: Crypto easily bypasses national jurisdictions and capital controls.
• Lack of central oversight: Decentralised exchanges (DEXs) and privacy coins evade scrutiny.
How Cryptocurrency Enables Money Laundering?
• Placement:
• What Happens: This is the first stage where illegally obtained “black” money enters the financial system.
• Crypto Route: Criminals use illicit cash or unaccounted funds to purchase cryptocurrencies through unregulated or low-compliance crypto exchanges, often located in countries with poor KYC/AML enforcement.
• Key Risk: These exchanges may not ask for identity proof or source of funds, making it easy to anonymize large volumes of cash.
• g.: Use of shell accounts to buy Bitcoin or Ethereum via offshore exchanges without traceability.
• Layering:
• What Happens: The goal here is to obscure the origin of the money through complex transactions.
• Crypto Route: The purchased crypto is split across thousands of wallets (via automation tools/scripts). It is then routed through “mixers” (like Tornado Cash) or exchanged for privacy coins (like Monero or Zcash) that hide sender/receiver details. Gambling platforms, NFT marketplaces, and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are also used to confuse audit trails.
• The purchased crypto is split across thousands of wallets (via automation tools/scripts).
• It is then routed through “mixers” (like Tornado Cash) or exchanged for privacy coins (like Monero or Zcash) that hide sender/receiver details.
• Gambling platforms, NFT marketplaces, and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are also used to confuse audit trails.
• Key Risk: The decentralized and pseudonymous nature of blockchain makes it very hard for law enforcement to follow the money trail.
• g.: A single Bitcoin is split into hundreds of microtransactions across wallets on the dark web, then re-aggregated under a new identity.
• Integration:
• What Happens: The laundered money is now reintroduced as legitimate assets.
• Crypto Route: Converted back into fiat currency via crypto ATMs or high-risk exchanges. Used to buy real estate, luxury goods, or invested in offshore shell companies. Some use Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and fake startups as fronts to channel these funds.
• Converted back into fiat currency via crypto ATMs or high-risk exchanges.
• Used to buy real estate, luxury goods, or invested in offshore shell companies.
• Some use Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and fake startups as fronts to channel these funds.
• Key Risk: The converted assets now appear legitimate, making them almost impossible to trace back to their criminal origins.
• g.: A criminal use cleaned Bitcoin to buy property in Dubai or expensive NFTs which are later sold as “clean” capital gains.
Challenges Associated:
• Weak KYC/AML Compliance: Many crypto exchanges, especially decentralised ones, do not enforce stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) or Anti-Money Laundering (AML) norms.
• Use of Privacy Coins & Mixers: Privacy coins like Monero and tools like crypto mixers hide transaction histories and wallet identities.
• Jurisdictional Conflicts: Crypto regulations differ widely across countries, with some jurisdictions lacking crypto-specific AML laws.
• Low Conviction Rates: In India, only 15 convictions out of 5,892 money laundering cases filed under PMLA till 2025.
• Use of ATMs and P2P Platforms: Crypto ATMs and peer-to-peer (P2P) systems allow direct, unmonitored conversion between cash and crypto.
Way Forward:
• Strengthen AML Laws: Amend PMLA to explicitly include crypto-related offences with actionable guidelines.
• Global Regulatory Coordination: Leverage Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) and FATF standards to enable cross-border monitoring.
• Real-time Blockchain Surveillance: Use AI-powered blockchain analytics for anomaly detection and smart contract screening.
• Mandatory KYC for Exchanges: Enforce strict KYC/AML compliance across all crypto platforms and wallets.
• Regulate Crypto Mixers and Privacy Coins: Bring under legal supervision with mandatory audit trails.
Conclusion:
The rise of crypto-linked frauds like the ₹260 crore case shows how digital currencies are being weaponised for financial crime. To protect economic sovereignty and prevent terror financing, India must adopt a proactive regulatory and technological approach, aligned with global best practices. Cryptocurrency can either become a tool for progress or a channel for crime — regulation will decide which.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Necropolitics
Context: The concept of Necropolitics gained renewed global attention after a civilian was killed while seeking food aid in Gaza — exposing the brutal logic of political systems that determine which lives are worth saving and which are disposable.
About Necropolitics:
• Necropolitics, coined by Achille Mbembe, refers to the use of state or institutional power to decide who may live and who must die.
• It extends Michel Foucault’s biopolitics by focusing not on preserving life but on governing death, often through abandonment, structural violence, and state terror.
Implications of Necropolitics:
• Erodes Rule of Law: Rights become selectively applied; justice becomes logistics.
• Normalises Injustice: Poverty, casteism, racism, and displacement become daily death traps.
• Dehumanises Populations: Lives become statistics and moral outrage is silenced by indifference.
Relevance to UPSC Syllabus
• GS Paper 1 – Indian Society Necropolitics helps understand social exclusion and marginalisation based on caste, class, gender, and ethnicity. It highlights how structural violence targets vulnerable groups and normalises their suffering.
• Necropolitics helps understand social exclusion and marginalisation based on caste, class, gender, and ethnicity. It highlights how structural violence targets vulnerable groups and normalises their suffering.
• GS Paper 2 – Polity & Governance The concept links directly to discussions on human rights, constitutional morality, surveillance ethics, and state accountability in protecting marginalised populations.
• The concept links directly to discussions on human rights, constitutional morality, surveillance ethics, and state accountability in protecting marginalised populations.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP):
Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme
- •Source: ET*
Context: India has achieved a record-low price of ₹55.75/kg for Green Ammonia in the first SECI auction under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme, marking a major step in the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
About Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme:
• What it is? A flagship financial component under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aimed at catalyzing India’s transition to green hydrogen.
• A flagship financial component under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aimed at catalyzing India’s transition to green hydrogen.
• Ministry: Implemented by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) along with Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).
• Objectives:
• Scale up Green Hydrogen production and use in India. Make green hydrogen cost-competitive with fossil alternatives. Create domestic demand across key sectors.
• Scale up Green Hydrogen production and use in India.
• Make green hydrogen cost-competitive with fossil alternatives.
• Create domestic demand across key sectors.
• Modes of Implementation:
• Mode 1: Incentives awarded to lowest incentive seeker. Mode 2A: Aggregated demand for Green Ammonia (fixed incentive). Mode 2B: Aggregated demand for Green Hydrogen (fixed incentive)
• Mode 1: Incentives awarded to lowest incentive seeker.
• Mode 2A: Aggregated demand for Green Ammonia (fixed incentive).
• Mode 2B: Aggregated demand for Green Hydrogen (fixed incentive)
• Key Features of SIGHT Scheme: Outlay: ₹17,490 crore allocated under SIGHT out of ₹19,744 crore total mission budget, focused on incentives and infrastructure support. Incentive Rates (Mode 2B): ₹50/kg (Year 1), ₹40/kg (Year 2), ₹30/kg (Year 3) to promote early adoption and gradual market shift. Bidding Process: SECI and Oil PSUs conduct competitive reverse auctions to select lowest bidders and aggregate demand. Standard Compliance: Only hydrogen meeting notified “Green Hydrogen” standards is eligible for incentives. Monitoring: A joint MNRE–MoPNG committee oversees implementation, ensures compliance, and resolves issues.
• Outlay: ₹17,490 crore allocated under SIGHT out of ₹19,744 crore total mission budget, focused on incentives and infrastructure support.
• Incentive Rates (Mode 2B): ₹50/kg (Year 1), ₹40/kg (Year 2), ₹30/kg (Year 3) to promote early adoption and gradual market shift.
• Bidding Process: SECI and Oil PSUs conduct competitive reverse auctions to select lowest bidders and aggregate demand.
• Standard Compliance: Only hydrogen meeting notified “Green Hydrogen” standards is eligible for incentives.
• Monitoring: A joint MNRE–MoPNG committee oversees implementation, ensures compliance, and resolves issues.
About Green Ammonia in First SECI Auction (Mode-2A):
• What is Green Ammonia? Green Ammonia is ammonia (NH₃) produced from green hydrogen (via electrolysis using renewable power), a key derivative used in fertilisers, shipping fuel, and chemical manufacturing.
• Green Ammonia is ammonia (NH₃) produced from green hydrogen (via electrolysis using renewable power), a key derivative used in fertilisers, shipping fuel, and chemical manufacturing.
• Auction Highlights:
• Winning price: ₹55.75/kg (USD 641/MT). Offtaker: Paradeep Phosphates Ltd., Odisha. Quantity: 75,000 MTPA out of 7.24 lakh MTPA total tender. Term: Fixed 10-year supply, improving affordability and supply chain reliability.
• Winning price: ₹55.75/kg (USD 641/MT).
• Offtaker: Paradeep Phosphates Ltd., Odisha.
• Quantity: 75,000 MTPA out of 7.24 lakh MTPA total tender.
• Term: Fixed 10-year supply, improving affordability and supply chain reliability.
• Significance:
• Boosts India’s clean fertiliser transition and import substitution. Encourages long-term private investment in green hydrogen derivatives. Positions India as a competitive green ammonia exporter.
• Boosts India’s clean fertiliser transition and import substitution.
• Encourages long-term private investment in green hydrogen derivatives.
• Positions India as a competitive green ammonia exporter.
Ectopic Pregnancies
Source: TH
Context: A rare case of an intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy was reported in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, where a foetus was found growing inside the liver.
About Ectopic Pregnancies:
• What Is an Ectopic Pregnancy?
• An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilised egg implants outside the uterus, most often in the fallopian tube. Since only the uterus can support a growing foetus, such pregnancies cannot proceed normally and require urgent medical attention.
• An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilised egg implants outside the uterus, most often in the fallopian tube.
• Since only the uterus can support a growing foetus, such pregnancies cannot proceed normally and require urgent medical attention.
• How Does It Occur?
• Normally, the fertilised egg travels from the ovary to the uterus via the fallopian tube. If the egg’s path is blocked—due to inflammation, scarring, surgery, or structural abnormalities—it may implant in other areas like: Fallopian tube (tubal pregnancy) Ovary Abdominal cavity Cervix
• Normally, the fertilised egg travels from the ovary to the uterus via the fallopian tube.
• If the egg’s path is blocked—due to inflammation, scarring, surgery, or structural abnormalities—it may implant in other areas like: Fallopian tube (tubal pregnancy) Ovary Abdominal cavity Cervix
• Fallopian tube (tubal pregnancy)
• Abdominal cavity
• Symptoms:
• Early signs may mimic normal pregnancy (missed period, breast tenderness) Danger signs include: Sharp abdominal or pelvic pain, Vaginal bleeding, Dizziness or fainting, Shoulder pain, and Low blood pressure. A ruptured fallopian tube is a life-threatening emergency.
• Early signs may mimic normal pregnancy (missed period, breast tenderness)
• Danger signs include: Sharp abdominal or pelvic pain, Vaginal bleeding, Dizziness or fainting, Shoulder pain, and Low blood pressure.
• A ruptured fallopian tube is a life-threatening emergency.
• Prevalence:
• A 2023 Indian study noted 0.91–2.3% incidence in hospitals. Globally, ectopic pregnancies have declined (1990–2019) but remain high in low- socio-demographic index (SDI) countries, as per a 2025 global study.
• A 2023 Indian study noted 0.91–2.3% incidence in hospitals.
• Globally, ectopic pregnancies have declined (1990–2019) but remain high in low- socio-demographic index (SDI) countries, as per a 2025 global study.
• Diagnosis and Treatment:
• Diagnosed through blood tests, urine tests, and transvaginal ultrasound. Most are identified in early pregnancy stages.
• Diagnosed through blood tests, urine tests, and transvaginal ultrasound.
• Most are identified in early pregnancy stages.
• Treatment Options:
• Medical Management: Methotrexate halts cell growth and dissolves embryonic tissue. Only effective in unruptured, early-stage ectopic pregnancies. Surgical Intervention: Laparoscopic surgery removes the embryo or the affected fallopian tube. Emergency surgery may be needed in the event of a rupture.
• Medical Management: Methotrexate halts cell growth and dissolves embryonic tissue. Only effective in unruptured, early-stage ectopic pregnancies.
• Methotrexate halts cell growth and dissolves embryonic tissue.
• Only effective in unruptured, early-stage ectopic pregnancies.
• Surgical Intervention: Laparoscopic surgery removes the embryo or the affected fallopian tube. Emergency surgery may be needed in the event of a rupture.
• Laparoscopic surgery removes the embryo or the affected fallopian tube.
• Emergency surgery may be needed in the event of a rupture.
Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025
Source: LM
Context: Parliament has passed the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, replacing the outdated Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925.
About Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025:
• What Is It?
• A new legislation passed to modernise India’s maritime trade laws. It repeals the nearly 100-year-old Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925, a colonial-era law.
• A new legislation passed to modernise India’s maritime trade laws.
• It repeals the nearly 100-year-old Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925, a colonial-era law.
• Objectives:
• Align India’s shipping laws with global best practices such as the Hague–Visby Rules. Promote ease of doing business by simplifying legal language and reducing ambiguities. Enhance India’s competitiveness as a maritime trade hub. Empower India to swiftly adopt future international maritime conventions.
• Align India’s shipping laws with global best practices such as the Hague–Visby Rules.
• Promote ease of doing business by simplifying legal language and reducing ambiguities.
• Enhance India’s competitiveness as a maritime trade hub.
• Empower India to swiftly adopt future international maritime conventions.
• Key Features: Repeals Outdated Law: Replaces the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925 to eliminate colonial-era legal remnants and modernize maritime law. Adopts Hague–Visby Rules: Aligns Indian law with international maritime standards for bills of lading and cargo liability. Codifies Carrier Responsibilities: Establishes clear rules on carrier liabilities, rights, and immunities to reduce disputes in cargo movement. Empowers Government for Global Alignment: Grants the Centre powers to quickly adopt emerging international maritime conventions via notifications. Supports Ease of Doing Business: Promotes legal simplicity and rationalization, facilitating maritime contracts and reducing compliance burdens. Parliamentary Oversight: Ensures executive decisions related to international adoption are accountable through legislative review. Future-Ready Legal Framework: Helps India adapt swiftly to global shipping trends and strengthens its position as a maritime trade hub.
• Repeals Outdated Law: Replaces the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925 to eliminate colonial-era legal remnants and modernize maritime law.
• Adopts Hague–Visby Rules: Aligns Indian law with international maritime standards for bills of lading and cargo liability.
• Codifies Carrier Responsibilities: Establishes clear rules on carrier liabilities, rights, and immunities to reduce disputes in cargo movement.
• Empowers Government for Global Alignment: Grants the Centre powers to quickly adopt emerging international maritime conventions via notifications.
• Supports Ease of Doing Business: Promotes legal simplicity and rationalization, facilitating maritime contracts and reducing compliance burdens.
• Parliamentary Oversight: Ensures executive decisions related to international adoption are accountable through legislative review.
• Future-Ready Legal Framework: Helps India adapt swiftly to global shipping trends and strengthens its position as a maritime trade hub.
About Hague–Visby Rules:
• A set of international rules governing the carriage of goods by sea, framed under the 1924 Hague Rules, later updated in 1968 (Visby Protocol) and 1979 (SDR Protocol).
• Formally titled: “International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading.”
Vanatara Zoo
Source: NIE
Context: Maharashtra CM held a meeting with the Vantara team over public outrage on the relocation of elephant Madhuri (Mahadevi) from Kolhapur to Jamnagar.
About Vanatara Zoo:
• Vantara (meaning Star of the Forest) is a private, non-commercial wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre.
• Developed by the Reliance Foundation, it is led by Anant Ambani as a philanthropic initiative under Reliance Industries.
• Location: Located inside the Jamnagar Refinery Township, Gujarat, spanning 3,500 acres in Motikhavdi village, Jamnagar district.
• Inaugurated: March 2025
• Mission: To provide care, conservation, and rehabilitation for injured, abandoned, and rescued animals.
• Key Features of Vantara:
• Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC): Covers around 650 acres with dedicated enclosures for big cats, reptiles, birds, and herbivores. Specialised Elephant Centre: Equipped with hydrotherapy pools, imaging systems, and recovery zones. In-House Infrastructure: On-campus animal transport systems, quarantine zones, and CCTV-monitored enclosures for species-specific care. No Public Access: Not a zoo or safari park. Designed for rescue, not recreation. Future limited educational tours may be considered. Species Diversity: Houses 1.5 lakh+ animals across 2,000 species, including elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, leopards, and exotic birds.
• Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC): Covers around 650 acres with dedicated enclosures for big cats, reptiles, birds, and herbivores.
• Specialised Elephant Centre: Equipped with hydrotherapy pools, imaging systems, and recovery zones.
• In-House Infrastructure: On-campus animal transport systems, quarantine zones, and CCTV-monitored enclosures for species-specific care.
• No Public Access: Not a zoo or safari park. Designed for rescue, not recreation. Future limited educational tours may be considered.
• Species Diversity: Houses 1.5 lakh+ animals across 2,000 species, including elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, leopards, and exotic birds.
• Conservation Significance:
• First-of-its-Kind in India: Largest privately managed facility for animal welfare and biodiversity rescue. Corporate Animal Welfare Model: Received Prani Mitra Award from the Animal Welfare Board of India
• First-of-its-Kind in India: Largest privately managed facility for animal welfare and biodiversity rescue.
• Corporate Animal Welfare Model: Received Prani Mitra Award from the Animal Welfare Board of India
WHO officially classified Hepatitis D virus as carcinogenic
Source: BS
Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have officially classified Hepatitis D virus (HDV) as carcinogenic, placing it in Group 1 — known causes of liver cancer, alongside Hepatitis B and C.
About WHO officially classified Hepatitis D virus as carcinogenic:
• What is Hepatitis D Virus (HDV)? Hepatitis D is a blood-borne viral infection that requires the presence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) to replicate. HDV cannot exist independently and occurs as co-infection (simultaneous with HBV) or superinfection (after existing HBV).
• Hepatitis D is a blood-borne viral infection that requires the presence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) to replicate.
• HDV cannot exist independently and occurs as co-infection (simultaneous with HBV) or superinfection (after existing HBV).
• Who Classified It as Carcinogenic? Classified by: WHO (World Health Organization) IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) Group 1 Category: Proven carcinogens in humans. Key Features of Hepatitis D and HBV Infection: Affects nearly 12 million people, i.e., ~5% of chronic HBV carriers globally. High prevalence in Asia, Africa, and the Amazon Basin. It also affects injection drug users and dialysis patients. Symptoms: Fatigue, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine — often ignored or misdiagnosed. Transmission: Through infected blood, unprotected sex, unsafe injections, and vertical transmission (mother-to-child). Why HDV is Classified as Cancer-Causing? Worsens HBV Outcomes: Co-infection increases liver cancer risk by 2–6 times vs. HBV alone. Rapid Liver Damage: Up to 75% develop cirrhosis in 15 years, compared to 50% in HBV-only cases. Aggressive Progression: Fast-tracked development of fibrosis and liver failure in younger populations. HDV hijacks HBV’s replication machinery, amplifying viral and oncogenic load. Treatment Landscape: No HDV-specific vaccine and HBV vaccine is the only preventive measure for both. Bulevirtide (approved in Europe) shows promise, used alongside pegylated interferon. HBV managed with lifelong antivirals and HDV therapies are still limited and expensive. WHO reports critical gaps in testing: Only 13% of HBV and 36% of HCV cases diagnosed. Treatment rates remain as low as 3% for HBV and 20% for HCV (2022 data).
• Classified by: WHO (World Health Organization) IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer)
• WHO (World Health Organization)
• IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer)
• Group 1 Category: Proven carcinogens in humans. Key Features of Hepatitis D and HBV Infection: Affects nearly 12 million people, i.e., ~5% of chronic HBV carriers globally. High prevalence in Asia, Africa, and the Amazon Basin. It also affects injection drug users and dialysis patients. Symptoms: Fatigue, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine — often ignored or misdiagnosed. Transmission: Through infected blood, unprotected sex, unsafe injections, and vertical transmission (mother-to-child).
• Key Features of Hepatitis D and HBV Infection:
• Affects nearly 12 million people, i.e., ~5% of chronic HBV carriers globally.
• High prevalence in Asia, Africa, and the Amazon Basin. It also affects injection drug users and dialysis patients.
• Symptoms: Fatigue, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine — often ignored or misdiagnosed.
• Transmission: Through infected blood, unprotected sex, unsafe injections, and vertical transmission (mother-to-child).
• Why HDV is Classified as Cancer-Causing? Worsens HBV Outcomes: Co-infection increases liver cancer risk by 2–6 times vs. HBV alone. Rapid Liver Damage: Up to 75% develop cirrhosis in 15 years, compared to 50% in HBV-only cases. Aggressive Progression: Fast-tracked development of fibrosis and liver failure in younger populations. HDV hijacks HBV’s replication machinery, amplifying viral and oncogenic load.
• Worsens HBV Outcomes: Co-infection increases liver cancer risk by 2–6 times vs. HBV alone.
• Rapid Liver Damage: Up to 75% develop cirrhosis in 15 years, compared to 50% in HBV-only cases.
• Aggressive Progression: Fast-tracked development of fibrosis and liver failure in younger populations.
• HDV hijacks HBV’s replication machinery, amplifying viral and oncogenic load.
• Treatment Landscape: No HDV-specific vaccine and HBV vaccine is the only preventive measure for both. Bulevirtide (approved in Europe) shows promise, used alongside pegylated interferon. HBV managed with lifelong antivirals and HDV therapies are still limited and expensive. WHO reports critical gaps in testing: Only 13% of HBV and 36% of HCV cases diagnosed. Treatment rates remain as low as 3% for HBV and 20% for HCV (2022 data).
• No HDV-specific vaccine and HBV vaccine is the only preventive measure for both.
• Bulevirtide (approved in Europe) shows promise, used alongside pegylated interferon.
• HBV managed with lifelong antivirals and HDV therapies are still limited and expensive.
• WHO reports critical gaps in testing: Only 13% of HBV and 36% of HCV cases diagnosed. Treatment rates remain as low as 3% for HBV and 20% for HCV (2022 data).
• Only 13% of HBV and 36% of HCV cases diagnosed.
• Treatment rates remain as low as 3% for HBV and 20% for HCV (2022 data).
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty
Source: NDTV
Context: Russia has officially declared its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, stating that Western missile deployments now directly threaten its security.
About Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty:
• What is the INF Treaty? The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was a landmark arms control agreement signed on 8 December 1987 between the United States and the Soviet Union, during the Reagan-Gorbachev
• The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was a landmark arms control agreement signed on 8 December 1987 between the United States and the Soviet Union, during the Reagan-Gorbachev
• Objective: To eliminate an entire category of nuclear and conventional missiles that posed an immediate threat to Europe and reduce the risk of nuclear escalation.
• Key Features of the INF Treaty:
• Scope of Weapons Banned: Banned all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km. Included both nuclear and conventional warheads. First-of-its-Kind Elimination: First arms treaty to eliminate an entire class of weapons, not just limit them. Global Coverage: Treaty applied to missiles deployed globally, not just in Europe. Verification Measures: Introduced on-site inspections, enhancing transparency and trust. Mutual Disarmament: Nearly two-thirds of the dismantled missiles were Soviet, rest were American.
• Scope of Weapons Banned: Banned all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km. Included both nuclear and conventional warheads.
• Banned all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.
• Included both nuclear and conventional warheads.
• First-of-its-Kind Elimination: First arms treaty to eliminate an entire class of weapons, not just limit them.
• Global Coverage: Treaty applied to missiles deployed globally, not just in Europe.
• Verification Measures: Introduced on-site inspections, enhancing transparency and trust.
• Mutual Disarmament: Nearly two-thirds of the dismantled missiles were Soviet, rest were American.
• Implications of Russia’s Exit:
• Arms Race Risk: Removes constraints on missile development in Europe and Asia. Erosion of Trust: Weakens arms control dialogue between nuclear powers. Last Arms Treaty Left: Only New START Treaty (expires 2026) remains; its future is also uncertain.
• Arms Race Risk: Removes constraints on missile development in Europe and Asia.
• Erosion of Trust: Weakens arms control dialogue between nuclear powers.
• Last Arms Treaty Left: Only New START Treaty (expires 2026) remains; its future is also uncertain.
Great Recall Vote
Source: TH
Context: Taiwan has launched the largest recall vote in its history against 31 opposition lawmakers from the Kuomintang (KMT) party.
About Great Recall Vote:
What is the “Great Recall” Vote?
• A mass legislative recall referendum targeting KMT lawmakers in Taiwan.
• Citizens are voting to remove 31 KMT legislators in two phases (July and August 2025).
• It is the largest recall exercise under Taiwan’s constitutional provision allowing removal of elected officials.
Nation Involved:
• Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), with deepening democratic processes.
• Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vs Kuomintang (KMT) rivalry is at the heart of this political conflict.
Objective of the Recall:
• To remove KMT legislators accused of: Blocking important government bills. Passing laws violating democratic norms. Allegedly colluding with the Chinese Communist Party.
• Blocking important government bills.
• Passing laws violating democratic norms.
• Allegedly colluding with the Chinese Communist Party.
Key Features of Taiwan’s Recall Mechanism:
• Three-Stage Process: 1% signatures to initiate. 10% electorate support for holding vote. 25% district participation and majority votes for successful recall.
• 1% signatures to initiate.
• 10% electorate support for holding vote.
• 25% district participation and majority votes for successful recall.
• Constitutional Tool: Governed under Taiwan’s Public Officials Election and Recall Act.
• Voter Empowerment: Empowers citizens to directly remove legislators they feel betrayed public trust.
• Referendum-Linked Accountability: Adds participatory depth to Taiwan’s democracy but also risks misuse.
Political Context and Crisis:
• DPP won Presidency in 2024 but lost legislative control (only 51/113 seats).
• KMT with allies holds 62 seats, blocking many executive policies.
• The Bluebird Movement, a civil resistance protest in May 2024, emerged after KMT passed reform bills bypassing standard legislative procedures.
• DPP-backed recall viewed as attempt to regain majority, but opponents claim it’s politically motivated.
NOTE: No need to memorise everything just remember the terms Great Recall Vote and Blue bird movement and which country is it associated with.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 7 August 2025 Mapping:
Bhalukona–Jamnidih block
Source: HT
Context: A potential Nickel–Copper–Platinum Group Elements (Ni–Cu–PGE) mineral zone has been discovered in the Bhalukona–Jamnidih block, Chhattisgarh, marking a breakthrough in India’s strategic mineral exploration.
About Bhalukona–Jamnidih block:
• What It Is? A geologically rich block containing Ni–Cu–PGE sulphide mineralisation, recently licensed to Deccan Gold Mining Ltd. (DGML).
• A geologically rich block containing Ni–Cu–PGE sulphide mineralisation, recently licensed to Deccan Gold Mining Ltd. (DGML).
• Location: Located in Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh, 70 km from Raipur, and part of the Neo-Archaean Sonakhan Greenstone Belt in the Bastar Craton.
• Key Features: Hosts mafic-ultramafic intrusives like gabbro, pyroxenite, and meta-olivine websterite. Sulphide mineralisation found up to 300 metres deep Mineralisation is disseminated and bleb-type, with pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite Adjacent to Kelwardabri block held by Vedanta, forming a future critical mineral hub
• Hosts mafic-ultramafic intrusives like gabbro, pyroxenite, and meta-olivine websterite.
• Sulphide mineralisation found up to 300 metres deep
• Mineralisation is disseminated and bleb-type, with pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite
• Adjacent to Kelwardabri block held by Vedanta, forming a future critical mineral hub
• Scientific Significance: G4-level exploration by Geological Survey of India confirmed mineral potential IP and drone-based magnetic surveys revealed a 700-metre-long mineralised zone High-potential zone for Ni–PGE–Cr–Cu Represents volcano-sedimentary evolution and complex magmatic history
• G4-level exploration by Geological Survey of India confirmed mineral potential
• IP and drone-based magnetic surveys revealed a 700-metre-long mineralised zone
• High-potential zone for Ni–PGE–Cr–Cu
• Represents volcano-sedimentary evolution and complex magmatic history
About Ni–Cu–PGE (Nickel–Copper–Platinum Group Elements):
• What They Are? A group of critical and strategic metals found in sulphide-rich mafic-ultramafic rocks. They often occur together in complex geological formations.
• A group of critical and strategic metals found in sulphide-rich mafic-ultramafic rocks. They often occur together in complex geological formations.
• Applications: Nickel (Ni): Used in EV batteries, stainless steel, aerospace components. Copper (Cu): Essential for electric wires, renewable energy systems, electronics. PGE (Pt, Pd, Rh): Used in catalytic converters, fuel cells, and green hydrogen production. Strategic for clean energy transition, defence, and advanced electronics.
• Nickel (Ni): Used in EV batteries, stainless steel, aerospace components.
• Copper (Cu): Essential for electric wires, renewable energy systems, electronics.
• PGE (Pt, Pd, Rh): Used in catalytic converters, fuel cells, and green hydrogen production.
• Strategic for clean energy transition, defence, and advanced electronics.
• National Relevance: India’s import-dependent sectors (EVs, electronics) rely heavily on these minerals. Supports India’s Critical Minerals Strategy and net-zero carbon goals.
• India’s import-dependent sectors (EVs, electronics) rely heavily on these minerals.
• Supports India’s Critical Minerals Strategy and net-zero carbon goals.
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