07 July 2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

UPSC GS 2

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)

News:   The Marine Products Export Development Authority recently concluded the second edition of the National Skill Olympiad on Seafood Value Addition during Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 in Kochi.

About Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA):

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a statutory body established to promote and facilitate the export of India's marine products.

MPEDA was constituted under an Act of Parliament in 1972.

The Marine Products Export Promotion Council, formed in 1961, was merged with MPEDA on 24 August 1972.

Headquarters: Kochi.

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Functions:

Promote and regulate the export of marine products.

Develop and regulate offshore and deep-sea fishing.

Undertake measures for the conservation and management of offshore and deep-sea fisheries.

Register:

Fishing vessels.

Processing plants.

Storage premises.

Conveyances used for transporting marine products.

Prescribe quality standards and specifications for export-oriented marine products.

Register exporters of marine products.

Promote value addition and quality improvement in the seafood sector.

Infrastructure:

Quality Control Laboratories

MPEDA has established five full-fledged Quality Control Laboratories at:

Kochi.

Nellore.

Bhimavaram.

Bhubaneswar.

Porbandar.

Regional Network:

Operates 18 Regional/Sub-Regional/Desk Offices across India.

Maintains Trade Promotion Offices in:

New Delhi.

Tokyo.

New York City.

UPSC GS 3

Caspian Cobra

News:  A rare Caspian Cobra was recently spotted in the Upper Forest Range of Chamba district.

About Caspian Cobra:

The Caspian cobra is a highly venomous species of cobra belonging to the Elapidae family.  It is also known as the:

Central Asian cobra.

Ladle snake.

Oxus cobra.

Russian cobra.

It is regarded as one of the most venomous cobra species in the world.

Scientific Name: Naja oxiana.

Habitat and Distribution:

It is native to Central Asia.  It is found in:

Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan.

Kyrgyzstan.

Tajikistan.

The Fergana Valley.

Afghanistan.

Northeastern Iran.

Northern Pakistan, including the Kashmir region.

Parts of Himachal Pradesh.

It inhabits arid and semi-arid regions, including rocky hillsides and scrublands.

Features:

Average length ranges from 1–1.2 metres, with a maximum recorded length of 175 cm.

It is generally smaller than the Indian cobra.

It has a slender body with a medium-length tail.

It possesses expandable cervical ribs that form a hood when threatened.

Unlike the Indian cobra, it lacks distinct hood markings.

Its colour varies from light brown to dark brown or black, sometimes with faint bands.

The underside is usually cream to light yellow.

It has a broad head with a rounded snout.

Defence Mechanism:

When threatened, it expands its hood to appear larger and intimidate predators.

It delivers a highly potent neurotoxic venom.

Conservation Status: International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List: Near Threatened (NT).

Marburg Virus Disease (MVD)

News:    The World Health Organization recently confirmed a case of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in Uganda.

About Marburg Virus Disease (MVD):

Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever with a high fatality rate.

It is caused by the Marburg virus.

The virus belongs to the Filoviridae family (filoviruses), the same family that includes the Ebola virus disease.

It is a zoonotic disease, affecting humans and non-human primates such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and monkeys.

The disease is named after Marburg, where the first known outbreak occurred in 1967 among laboratory workers handling monkeys imported from Africa.

The virus is primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reservoir: The natural reservoir of the Marburg virus is the Egyptian fruit bat.

Transmission:​

Humans usually become infected after prolonged exposure to bat-inhabited caves or mines.

It is not an airborne disease and does not spread through casual contact.

Transmission requires direct exposure to infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials.

Incubation Period: 2–21 days after exposure.

Fatality Rate:

Average Case Fatality Rate (CFR): Around 50%.

Past outbreaks have recorded CFRs ranging from 24% to 88%, depending on the quality of healthcare and outbreak response.

Treatment:

No approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment is currently available.

Treatment is mainly supportive, including:

Intravenous fluids and electrolyte replacement.

Maintaining hydration.

Vikram-1 Rocket

News:  India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, is all set for its maiden launch.

About Vikram-1 Rocket”

Vikram-1 is India's first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle.

It has been developed by Skyroot Aerospace.

It is designed primarily for launching small satellites into orbit.

Features of Vikram-1:

It is a multi-stage orbital launch vehicle standing about seven storeys tall.

It has four stages:

First three stages: Solid-fuel propulsion for high initial thrust.

Fourth stage: Hypergolic liquid propulsion for precise orbital insertion.

Fourth Stage:

Powered by a cluster of four Raman engines.

The Raman engines are hypergolic engines, using:

MMH (Monomethylhydrazine) as fuel.

NTO (Nitrogen Tetroxide) as oxidiser.

Hypergolic propellants ignite automatically upon contact, eliminating the need for an ignition system.

Design and Technology:

Built using an all-carbon composite structure, reducing weight while maintaining strength.

Powered by indigenously developed propulsion systems, including:

3D-printed rocket engines.

High-thrust solid rocket motors.

Incorporates:

Ultra-low-shock pneumatic stage separation systems.

Advanced avionics for real-time navigation, guidance, and control.

Payload Capacity:

350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

260 kg to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

Key Capabilities:

Designed for rapid launch readiness, with the ability to launch within 24 hours from any launch location.

Optimised for the growing small-satellite market.

Capable of deploying multiple satellites during a single mission.

LokOS Platform

News:  The LokOS Platform has significantly expanded its reach across India, enabling large-scale digital transformation of community institutions.

About LokOS Platform:

LokOS stands for Lok = People and OS = Operating System.

It is a web and mobile platform developed under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

It provides a comprehensive digital solution for managing:

Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs).

The web application supports:

Administrators.

E-bookkeepers.

Transaction approvers.

Registration and approval of SHGs, Village Organizations (VOs), Cluster Level Federations (CLFs), and their members.

The mobile application enables field-level recording and management of Community-Based Organization (CBO) activities.

It has enabled nationwide digital integration of:

Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Village Organizations (VOs).

Cluster Level Federations (CLFs).

SHG members.

LokOS also supports the Lakhpati Didi initiative through digital beneficiary tracking and monitoring.

Coverage: 34 States and Union Territories.

Key Features of LokOS:

End-to-End Digital Management : Registers and manages SHGs, VOs, CLFs, and their members.

Unique Digital IDs : Generates Aadhaar-linked and bank-linked digital identities for CBOs and members.

Digital Financial Records : Maintains records of:

Savings.

Loans.

Repayments.

Other financial transactions.

Livelihood Profiling: Captures livelihood-related information to support planning and convergence with government schemes.

Role-Based Administration : Enables approvals, user management, monitoring, and reporting from the village level to the national level.

Real-Time Analytics : Provides dashboards and one-click reports for evidence-based decision-making.