UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | August 18 to August 24, 2025

— This is the 2nd National Space Day with the theme “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities”.

 

Polity

• Digitally literate state-Kerala

— In another significant milestone in the field of education, Kerala has become the first “digitally-literate” state in India.

— In 2023, the state government launched the ‘Digi Keralam-complete digital literary programme’ with the prime goal of taking the digital revolution to all sections of people, irrespective of their age, and help them avail its e-services.

— A survey of 83 lakh households was conducted to identify the “digitally illiterate” and training sessions were conducted.

As the House met on the first day of the Monsoon session, members paid tribute to eight former MPs who passed away recently. (Source: Screengrab/X/@sansad_tv)

• Highlights from the Monsoon Session

— The Monsoon Session, which commenced on July 21, saw the introduction of 14 Bills and the passing of 12 of them. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die on 21st August.

— A new income tax Bill was passed to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961. It is likely to come into effect from April 1, 2026.

— Rajya Sabha cleared the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, a day after its passage in Lok Sabha. Under the provisions of the Bill, only a sports body that receives financial assistance from the state qualifies as a “public authority” under the Right to Information Act, 2005.  This effectively excludes the BCCI because it does not receive any direct financial aid from the government.

— The Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 minutes after it was introduced in the House, offering a legal framework to regulate online gaming companies in India. At the heart of the proposed law are blanket prohibitions on online money games, multi-crore fines and potential jail sentences.

— Both the Houses passed The Indian Ports Bill, 2025 seeks to modernise the outdated provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 1908, promote integrated port development, facilitate businesses and ensure utilisation of India’s coastline.

— The Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025 and two related statutory amendments to reflect the proposed changes for Union Territories have been referred to a joint committee of Parliament for review.

— The Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to remove a central or state Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for at least 30 days consecutively.

— The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, introduced in Lok Sabha, seeks to amend 16 Central Acts to decriminalise and rationalise certain offences and penalties. This is the second Jan Vishwas legislation brought in by the Narendra Modi government.

 

Defence

• Integrated Air Defence Weapon System

— The ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Sunday (August 24) that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the first flight-tests of an Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS).

— The IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system, which includes three components

(i) Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles (QRSAM): It is a short-range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system, primarily designed to provide a protective shield to moving armoured columns of the Army from enemy aerial attacks.

(ii) The advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles: It is a fourth-generation, technically advanced miniaturised Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD). The weapon system can neutralise targets between the range of 300 meters and six kilometers, including drones and other classes of aerial threats.

(iii) High-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW): It can neutralise fixed-wing UAV and swarm drones, causing structural damage and disabling their surveillance sensors. With this, India has joined the exclusive club of global powers that possess such a system. DEW is said to have a range of less than three kilometers.

— The integrated operation of all these weapon system components is controlled by a Centralised Command and Control Centre, developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad.

Environment

Kanichar village in Kerala’s Kannur district. (Express Photo)

• Living lab approach

— Kanichar — 60 km from Kannur — is India’s first village panchayat where a living lab approach has been adopted for enhancing climate sensitivity and people’s resilience capacity.

— Implemented by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the project has one aim — making the 4,600-odd household owners in the panchayat resilient to natural disasters.

— The living lab approach is an ecosystem that integrates real-world settings with research and innovation to create and test solutions.

— First developed in the Netherlands, the approach is marked by the involvement of several stakeholders — including government, experts, private agencies and civic society — to find real-world solutions.

— This panchayat will also have an early landslide warning system installed by IIT-Roorkee. This is the first time in the country that the concept is being implemented with landslide as the focal theme.

• Sperm Whale vomit

— The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Ahmedabad Rural Police arrested two men with 2.976 kg of illicit sperm whale vomit (ambergris), police said.

— Trade of ambergris is banned in India as the sperm whale is a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

— They are listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.

— Ambergris, which means gray amber in French, is a waxy substance that originates from the digestive system of the protected sperm whales. This excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold.

— It is often found floating in the sea and rarely even spotted on beaches and coastlines. It is highly prized for its scent and is used illegally in the production of perfumes.

— They are the largest of the toothed whales. They are the only whales in the world that have large enough throats to swallow a human.

— They are named after the waxy substance—spermaceti—found in their heads. The spermaceti is an oil sac that helps the whales focus sound.

Tiger (File photo)

• Tiger corridors

— Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has limited the number of tiger corridors, primarily, to only 32 “least cost pathways” identified in 2014.

— Now, the benchmark primarily consists of the “least cost pathways” identified in its 2014 report and the ones recorded by tiger reserves in their individual TCPs.

— Tiger corridors are vital wildlife pathways that connect tiger habitats, enabling animal movement, gene flow, and long-term survival.

— There were benchmarks that were applied in determining a corridor:

* Protected Areas occupied by tigers,

* Least cost pathways identified in 2014,

* Corridors marked in Tiger Conservation Plans (TCPs) of each reserve,

* Corridors identified by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) — “Tiger corridors of eastern Vidarbha landscape” — in 2016,

* Corridors identified by WII — “Telemetry based tiger corridors of Vidarbha” landscape” — in 2021, and

* Distribution of tigers based on quadrennial all-India Tiger Estimations (AITEs).

— The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the said Act.

A rare orange nurse shark with signs of xanthism and albinism has been found off Costa Rica’s coast (Source: X/Past To Future)

• Orange Shark

— A rare, vividly orange nurse shark has been discovered off the coast of Costa Rica, baffling scientists and prompting renewed interest in marine pigmentation anomalies.

— This peculiar colouration is due to xanthism—also known as xanthochroism—a rare condition of pigmentation.

— Xanthism causes excessive yellow or golden hues due to a lack of red pigmentation. It has never been documented before in cartilaginous fish, the group of species that includes sharks, rays, and skates, in the Caribbean.

— In addition to its golden-orange skin, the nurse shark also showed signs of albinism, particularly a pair of striking white eyes.

— The origin of the pigmentation is still uncertain. While xanthism is often the result of a genetic mutation, environmental factors such as diet could also play a role.

 

Science and Technology

•  Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

— The country’s largest refiner and fuel retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) expects to start producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a commercial scale at its Panipat refinery by December.

— IOC became the first company in India to receive the ISCC CORSIA certification for SAF production at its Panipat refinery in Haryana.

— ISCC CORSIA is a certification system for compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) criteria for SAF. It is a prerequisite for commercial SAF production.

— CORSIA, which applies to international flights, would require airlines globally to offset any growth in carbon dioxide emissions beyond the 2020 levels.

— SAF is a biofuel that is produced from sustainable feedstocks and has chemistry similar to conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil.

— It is a ‘drop in’ fuel, meaning it can be blended with ATF without requiring any change in the existing machinery of aircraft.

— According to aviation industry and energy experts, SAF alone is likely to account for over 60 per cent of the global aviation industry’s decarbonisation efforts.

•  India’s first removable solar panel system 

— Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi has become the country’s first city to have portable solar panels between railway tracks.

— Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), Varanasi, has commissioned India’s first removable solar panel system installed between railway track.

— BLW has rolled out this pilot project in its workshop line number 19 with an indigenously-designed installation procedure to lay solar panels between the rails without disrupting train traffic.

— India plans to attain net zero status by 2070, which will require drastic cuts in GHG emissions from all sectors, including transport. Indian Railways aims to become a ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway’ by 2030.

A model of LMLV rocket (centre). On the left is a model of the LMV-3 rocket, on the right is HLVM3. (Express photo)

• Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV)

— Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan said that the space agency was in the process of building its heaviest rocket ever, and had named it Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV).

— Narayanan said ISRO was no longer working on the NGLV (Next Generation Launch Vehicle), a heavy-lift rocket that was supposed to carry the modules for India’s space station, the Bharat Antariksh Station, or BAS.

— He said the LMLV would be ready by 2035, and would be used for the lunar missions, including the first human mission to the Moon, planned by 2040.

— The new rocket would be capable of carrying about 27 tonnes to the Moon and 80 tonnes to low Earth orbits, which are between 200 and 2,000 km from the planet’s surface. The heaviest payload that the current LVM3 has carried to low earth orbit is 5.8 tonnes.

— The LMLV will be a three-stage rocket, with the first two stages using liquid propellant and the third stage using a cryogenic propellant.

 

Economy

• S&P rating upgradation

— Recently, S&P Global Ratings had upgraded its rating for India to BBB from BBB-.  The upgrade by the American rating agency – the world’s largest – comes 18 years after it had last raised its India assessment in January 2007 to BBB- in the rating scale.

— S&P rates countries based on its assessment of five key areas: institutional, economic, external, fiscal, and monetary.

— According to S&P, a BBB rating indicates “adequate capacity to meet financial commitments, but more subject to adverse economic conditions”. The next step is A, then AA, and finally, AAA, which signifies “extremely strong capacity to meet financial commitments”.

 

Persons in News

(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)

Tall, poised, and luminous, Manika Vishwakarma walked into the spotlight (Photo – Instagram)

• Manika Vishwakarma 

— Manika Vishwakarma from Rajasthan is crowned as the winner of Miss Universe India 2025. 

— Crowned by Miss Universe India 2024 Rhea Singha, she beat Tanya Sharma from Uttar Pradesh (the first runner-up), Mehak Dhingra from Haryana (the second runner-up), and Amishi Kaushik (the third runner-up) to win the coveted title.

— She will now represent India at the global 74th Miss Universe competition to be held in Thailand later this year.

— Miss Universe 2024 was the 73rd Miss Universe pageant, held at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, and Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark emerged as the winner.

— India has three title winners and ranks in the Top 10 Miss Universe winners list.

➥ Sushmita Sen (1994) – the first Indian to win Miss Universe.

➥ Lara Dutta (2000) – the second Indian Miss Universe.

➥ Harnaaz Sandhu (2021) – third crown for India after two decades.

• Shwetha Menon

— Shwetha Menon, a leading actor in Kerala, was recently elected as the first woman president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA).

—  AMMA is an organisation which has seen ups and downs over the past year due to sexual harassment allegations against its members.

— The last president, Mohanlal, had stepped down, and the executive committee of AMMA was dissolved, after the Justice Hema Committee report came out in 2024, accusing the film industry of discriminating against women.

Places in News

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

China push to build transport infra in border areas.

• Planned Railway projects in China

— Earlier this month, China established the Xinjiang-Xizang Railway Co Ltd with a plan to build a railway to connect two historically restive Chinese border regions adjoining each other.

— It plans to connect the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest, and Tibet, officially Xizang Autonomous Region, in the south of the country.

— The Xinjiang-Xizang line will run “from Hotan in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to Shigatse and Lhasa in Xizang”, and will be “part of China’s five planned railway corridors into Xizang”.

— Xinjiang is a vast but sparsely populated region of mountains, forests and deserts in far northwestern China that borders Russia, Pakistan and several Central Asian nations.

— The region contains a wealth of natural resources, including oil, gas and rare earth minerals, but perhaps its most important value is as a strategic buffer that extends China’s influence westward.

Not to scale. Credit: Ritesh Kumar

• Lipulekh Pass

— Nepal objected earlier this week to India and China announcing the reopening of border trade through the Lipulekh Pass, citing its claims over the region.

— In an official statement, the Government of Nepal said that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani — located east of the Mahakali River — are integral parts of Nepal.

— In response, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Border trade between India and China through Lipulekh pass commenced in 1954 and has been going on for decades… such claims are neither justified nor based on… evidence.”

— Lipulekh pass lies at an altitude of 5,115 metres, on the border between Uttarakhand and the Tibet Autonomous Region, near the trijunction with Nepal. It is an ancient passageway between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau, frequented by traders and pilgrims alike.

 

Sports

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

• Rugby-centric Bronco Test 

— To ensure top Indian cricketers maintain a high level of fitness and improve their aerobic capacity, the rugby-centric Bronco Test has been introduced.

— In the Bronco Test, a player starts off with a 20-metre shuttle run, followed by a 40m one and a 60m run, which constitutes one set.

— A player is required to do five such sets which adds up to 1,200 meters without taking a break. The Indian players have been asked to complete the Bronco Test in six minutes.

— The BCCI already has in place a Yo-Yo Test and a 2-kilometre time trial as fitness tests for top cricketers.

— The Yo-Yo-Test involves running between markers placed 20 meters apart, at increasing speeds, with a 10-second break between each 40-metre run. The minimum Yo-Yo level for the Indian team was set at 17.1.

Olympian shooter Elavenil Valarivan shot 253.6 in the final of the women’s 10m air rifle event at the Asian Shooting Championships to clinch the gold medal. (File/PTI)

• Asian Shooting championships 2025

— The Asian Shooting championships 2025 are taking place in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, from 18th August to 30th August.

— Olympian shooter Elavenil Valarivan shot 253.6 in the final of the women’s 10m air rifle event at the Asian Shooting Championships to clinch the gold medal.

— This is the second senior gold medal for India in this edition of the continental championships, as Anantjeet Singh Naruka won gold in the men’s skeet.

— Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker had won the bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol competition.

• U20 World Wrestling Championships 2025

—  Kajal Dochak, 17-year-old Haryana wrestler, won the title in the women’s 72 Kg final with a 8-6 win over China’s Liu Yuqi to become India’s second U20 World Champion this week.

— Tapasya Gahlawat, 19-year-old, won the first gold for India in women’s 57 Kg with a 5-2 win over Norway’s Felicitas Domajeva.

— The U20 World Wrestling Championships 2025 was organised in in Samokov, Bulgaria, from August 17 to 24.

— There are medal events for all three disciplines – men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle – each with 10 weight categories.

Indian wrestler	Event	Medal
Kajal	Women’s freestyle 72kg	Gold
Tapasya Gahlawat	Women’s freestyle 57kg	Gold
Sumit Malik	Men’s freestyle 57kg	Silver
Srishti	Women’s freestyle 68kg	Silver
Reena	Women’s freestyle 55kg	Silver
Priya Malik	Women’s freestyle 76kg	Silver
Saarika	Women’s freestyle 53kg	Bronze
Shruti	Women’s freestyle 50kg	Bronze
Suraj Vashisht	Greco-Roman 60kg	Bronze

(Source: olympics.com)

 

Terms making buzz

The Skibidi Toilet is a machinima web series created by Alexey Gerasimov and released through YouTube videos and Shorts on his channel. It has since gone viral. (Wkimedia Commons)

•  New words added to the Cambridge Dictionary

— Recently, Cambridge Dictionary has added more than 6000 words, which include skibidi, broligarchy, delulu, and tradwife.

— Skibidi originated in Skibidi Toilet, a surreal animated YouTube series in which human heads burst out of toilets to pounding beats. Children and teens picked up the word, using it as an all-purpose exclamation or sometimes as pure nonsense. Cambridge defines it as a term that can mean “cool,” “bad” or nothing at all.

— Tradwife is shorthand for “traditional wife.” The word describes women who broadcast their devotion to domesticity online through cooking, cleaning, raising children and submitting to husbands as a lifestyle brand.

— Delulu, short for delusional, began in K-pop fandoms more than a decade ago as a taunt for fans who imagined marrying their idols. On TikTok, it been reborn as philosophy: “delulu is the solulu,” which means ‘believing in your own delusion is the solution.’

— Broligarchy is a jab at wealthy men dominating tech, “mouse jiggler” is the pandemic-era device for faking productivity and “work spouse,” shorthand for office partnerships that feel marital in everything but name.

 

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. Next Generation Launch Vehicle is an upgraded form of Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV).

2. The LMLV will be a four-stage rocket, with the first two stages using liquid propellant.

3. It will be capable of carrying about 27 tonnes to the Moon and 80 tonnes to low Earth orbits.

Which of the statements given above are incorrect?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(2) Which of the following statements best describes ‘Ambergris’, recently seen in the news?

(a) Newly discovered high-temperature superconductor

(b) A rare earth metal found on the coastline of Kerala

(c) A waxy substance that originates from the digestive system of sperm whales

(d) First indigenous developed antibiotic drugs in India

(3) Consider the following statements about the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) of India:

1. It is a multi-layered air defence system that includes three components.

2. ASTRA, a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) class of Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) system, is one of the component.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Prelims Answer Key

1. (a)   2. (c)  3. (a)

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