11 May2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

GS Paper 1 – Geography

Ulsoor Lake

📰 Why in News

• Environmental activists have expressed concerns over the desilting activities at

Ulsoor Lake after the lake was drained for restoration for the first time more than 30 years.

📍 Location and Identity

• Ulsoor Lake, also known as Halasuru Lake, is a man-made lake located in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• It is regarded as the oldest and one of the largest lakes in Bengaluru city.

🏛 Historical Background

• The lake was constructed in 1648 by Kempe Gowda II, the founder of Bengaluru.

• It derived its original name from the nearby villages of Halsur or Alasur.

• In 1862, the lake underwent renovation under Sir Lewin Bentham Bowring.

• After the renovation, the anglicised name “Ulsoor” came into common usage.

🌊 Physical Features

• Ulsoor Lake covers an area of nearly 123.6 acres.

• The lake has a maximum depth of around 18 feet.

• Its irregular outline is often compared to the shape of the Indian map.

🏝 Islands and Connectivity

• The lake contains seven islands.

• These islands are interconnected through bridges.

GS Paper 3 – Defence Technology

Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) Weapon

📰 Why in News

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air

Force recently conducted the maiden flight trial of the Tactical Advanced Range

Augmentation (TARA) weapon system off the coast of Odisha.

📖 What is TARA?

• TARA is India’s first indigenously developed glide weapon system designed to

convert unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions.

⚙ Working Mechanism

• After being released from an aircraft, the glide weapon uses aerodynamic lift

and onboard guidance systems to move towards its target.

• Unlike conventional free-fall bombs, the system does not rely solely on gravity

for descent.

🏢 Developed By

• The TARA weapon system has been designed and developed by Research

Centre Imarat (RCI) along with other DRDO laboratories.

🚀 Key Features

🎯 Purpose and Capability

• The system has been developed to enhance the lethality and accuracy of low-

cost munitions against ground-based targets.

GS Paper 3 – Environment & Ecology

Buff-tip Moth

📰 Why in News

• Scientists have recently warned that the invasive Buff-tip moth is emerging as a

threat to the agriculture-based economy of Ladakh.

🦋 Classification and Identity

• The Buff-tip moth, scientifically known as Phalera bucephala, belongs to the

Notodontidae family.

🌍 Distribution

• The species is naturally distributed across parts of Africa, East Asia, and

Europe.

🔄 Life Cycle

• Adult moths generally emerge during the middle of June.

• Shortly after emergence, they mate and lay egg clusters containing as many as

150 eggs.

• By July, the larvae hatch and begin feeding collectively in groups.

• Initially, the larvae scrape the underside of leaves before consuming them

completely.

• Towards the end of summer, the caterpillars burrow into the soil for pupation.

• They remain dormant underground during winter and emerge again in the

following season.