UPSC Daily Current Affairs 10 July 2025

The UPSC Current Affairs for July 9, 2025, cover key topics including India's maritime legal reforms under the Admiralty Act 2017, educational insights via PARAKH, Global South diplomacy, hydrocarbon licensing, plastic pollution, ERASR missile tech, catastrophe bonds, optical atomic clocks, MALE drones, and critical geography updates like the Mahi River and Tarragona province.

These developments span polity, governance, environment, defence, science, and geography, offering aspirants vital insights for GS papers, prelims facts, and essay enrichment. Stay informed to connect static and dynamic portions of the UPSC syllabus effectively.

1. Admiralty (Jurisdiction & Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017

Category: Polity / Maritime Law

Context:

The Act's provisions are crucial for strengthening India's maritime legal framework.

About:

Modernizes admiralty law, aligning with international conventions like UNCITRAL's 1993 Arrest Convention.
Consolidates existing scattered and archaic laws (some 126-177 years old) into a single framework
Applies to all vessels, irrespective of owner's domicile, within Indian territorial and exclusive economic zones (EEZ)
Excludes inland vessels, warships, and government vessels used for non-commercial purposes
Enforced since April 2018 (Act No. 22 of 2017)

Key Features:

Empowers High Courts of coastal states to exercise admiralty jurisdiction over maritime claims
Original jurisdiction primarily vested in High Courts of Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Karnataka, Gujarat, Orissa, Kerala, and Hyderabad
Allows courts to arrest, detain, or order the sale of vessels as security for maritime claims
Covers a wide range of maritime claims including disputes over vessel possession/ownership, mortgages, loss or damage, salvage, services, repairs, insurance, environmental threats, and most importantly, payment of wages to seafarers
Prioritizes maritime claims, with seafarer wages receiving the highest priority
Provides protection against wrongful arrest of vessels and allows for case transfers between High Courts
Central Government can extend jurisdiction to other High Courts or territorial waters by notification

2. PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Report

Category: Education / Governance

Context:

The PARAKH portal now publishes National Achievement Survey (NAS) and Rashtriya Sarvekshan assessment data to enhance transparency and accountability in the education sector.

About:

Managed by NCERT under the Ministry of Education (formerly MHRD).
Aims to standardize assessment, evaluation, and examination systems across states.
PARAKH stands for Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development.

Key Features:

Provides district-wise dashboards showcasing school infrastructure, learning outcomes, and student progress.
Enables data-driven interventions and policy formulation by central and state governments.
A crucial step towards achieving the evidence-based reforms envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Facilitates a holistic assessment of students, moving beyond rote learning to critical thinking and application.

3. India & the Global South Diplomacy

Category: International Relations

Context:

India's intensified engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America during 2023-24 signifies a strategic shift in its foreign policy.

About:

Collaborations include partnerships with Ghana (critical minerals, maritime security), Argentina (lithium), Namibia (UPI fintech), and Brazil (defence deals).
India has actively championed the interests of the Global South, hosting 'Voice of Global South Summits' and supporting the African Union's (AU) permanent membership in the G20.

Key Features:

Represents India's evolving role from an aid recipient to a global agenda-setter and development partner.
Employs 'soft power' diplomacy, leveraging its expertise in health, digital public infrastructure, and capacity building, rather than 'hard loan' diplomacy.
Advocates for reforms in global institutional structures, climate justice, and debt relief for developing nations.
Aims to build stronger economic and strategic ties, diversifying supply chains and fostering new growth partnerships.
Reinforces India's commitment to multilateralism and a more equitable world order.

4. Draft Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules, 2025

Category: Economic Regulation / Energy

Context:

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MOPNG) released draft rules to revamp the 2002 guidelines, aiming for more transparent licensing and auction processes in the hydrocarbon sector.

About:

Aligns with the 'Open Acreage Licensing Policy' (OALP) for exploration and production bidding.
Covers deepwater, offshore gas, and Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks.

Key Features:

Automates demand notices via Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for efficiency.
Mandates 30% women participation in new petroleum and natural gas leases to promote gender diversity.
Introduces digital sampling, speedy clearances, and e-auctions to streamline processes.
Imposes stricter audit and compliance norms to enhance transparency and accountability.
Aims to boost domestic hydrocarbon production and attract greater investment in the sector.
Seeks to reduce India's reliance on energy imports and strengthen energy security.

5. Study on Banning 'Problematic Plastics'

Category: Environment / Public Health

Context:

A recent policy brief suggests identifying and prohibiting 20 types of hazardous plastics linked to endocrine disruption and microplastic pollution.

About:

Targets problematic plastics such as microbeads, products containing BPA (Bisphenol A), single-use plastics with thickness ≥60 µm, and items coated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

Key Findings:

These plastics degrade into microplastics and leach harmful chemicals, contaminating drinking water and accumulating across food chains.
Linked to adverse health effects, including hormonal imbalances and other chronic diseases.

Recommendations:

Phased elimination of identified problematic plastics.
Promotion of eco-friendly and swappable alternatives.
Launching public awareness campaigns on the risks of plastic pollution.
Establishing robust disposal and recycling frameworks.
Encouraging research and development into sustainable materials.

6. Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket (ERASR)

Category: Defence / Maritime Security

Context:

DRDO's ERASR provides the Indian Navy with enhanced Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability, extending engagement range beyond conventional limits.

About:

Designed for deployment from naval platforms like Sea King helicopters and MiG-29K fighter jets.
Capable of targeting submarines at ranges of 30-50 km.

Key Features:

Deployed via sonobuoys or direct rocket launch.
Features a 'sleep mode' when submerged, activating only upon detection of a torpedo or specific acoustic signature.
Forms a crucial tactical layer in India's integrated seabed defense strategy.
Enhances the Indian Navy's ability to detect, track, and neutralize hostile submarines effectively.
Contributes significantly to maritime security and strategic deterrence in the Indian Ocean Region.

7. Catastrophe Bonds (Cat Bonds)

Category: Economy / Disaster Finance

Context:

Catastrophe Bonds allow governments and corporations to transfer specific catastrophe risks (e.g., cyclones, floods, earthquakes) to investors in exchange for risk-return payoffs.

About:

Investors lose their principal if a pre-defined catastrophic event occurs and triggers the bond's payout conditions.
These bonds are a form of insurance-linked securities (ILS).

Key Features:

Provides sovereigns and affected entities with immediate liquidity during and after major disasters.
Diversifies disaster risk beyond traditional government budgets and insurance pools, reducing fiscal burden.
Offers an alternative risk transfer mechanism for events that might overwhelm conventional insurance markets.
Can be crucial for developing nations and those highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, helping them build financial resilience.
Attracts institutional investors seeking uncorrelated returns, as disaster events are generally independent of financial market cycles.

8. Optical Atomic Clock

Category: Science & Technology

Context:

An optical atomic clock, utilizing electrons trapped in silicon or cesium, achieves significantly higher accuracy than traditional cesium-based clocks.

About:

Measures time based on the ultra-precise oscillations of electrons in atoms, typically strontium or ytterbium.
Achieves precision of one part in 10^18, meaning it would deviate by only 1 second over billions of years, far surpassing older cesium clocks (10^16 accuracy).

Key Features:

Enables unprecedented precision timing crucial for advanced GPS systems, high-frequency financial trading, and fundamental physics research.
Facilitates the detection of faint gravitational waves and provides more precise tests of Einstein's theory of relativity.
Could lead to breakthroughs in quantum computing, secure communication, and deep-space navigation.
Research in India is progressing towards developing indigenous optical atomic clock technology, critical for strategic applications and scientific leadership.

9. MALE Drones: Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAVs

Category: Defence / Aerospace

Context:

India is increasingly inducting indigenously built Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for diverse roles in the Indian Air Force (IAF), Army, and Coast Guard.

About:

Designed to operate at medium altitudes (around 10 km) for extended durations (typically 24-48 hours).
Examples include India's TAPAS-BH-201 and DRDO AURA (an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle - UCAV under development).

Key Features:

Equipped with advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors, and Electronic Warfare (EW) payloads.
Critical for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over vast areas.
Essential for border patrolling, maritime domain awareness (MDA) in the Indian Ocean Region, and anti-insurgency operations.
Reduces human risk in hazardous environments and provides cost-effective surveillance solutions.
Their long endurance capabilities enhance situational awareness and response times for defense forces.

10. Tarragona Province

Category: Geography / Europe

Context:

Tarragona, a province in Catalonia, Spain, is geographically significant and often features in UPSC map-based questions due to its coastal location and industrial importance.

About:

Located in southwestern Catalonia, with its capital being Tarragona city, known for its rich Roman heritage.
The region boasts a diverse economy including agriculture (wine, olives), petrochemicals, and a major port.

Key Features:

Home to notable historical sites like the Roman Amphitheatre of Tarragona, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Port of Tarragona is one of Spain's major ports, crucial for maritime trade, particularly in oil and chemicals.
Its Mediterranean coast attracts significant tourism.
The province serves as a key economic and cultural hub in northeastern Spain.

11. Mahisagar (Mahi) River Mapping

Category: Geography / Rivers

Context:

The Mahi River originates in Madhya Pradesh, flows through Rajasthan and Gujarat, eventually emptying into the Gulf of Khambhat in the Arabian Sea.

About:

Approximately 580 km long, it originates in the Vindhya Range of Madhya Pradesh.
Flows through Rajasthan's marble belt before entering Gujarat.

Key Features:

Its waters are subject to inter-state sharing disputes, governed by a Tripartite Agreement (1976) between Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Key dams on the river include the Kadana Dam (Gujarat) and Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam (Rajasthan), which are vital for irrigation and hydropower generation.
The river basin supports agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions.
Plays an important ecological role, contributing to the biodiversity of the regions it traverses.