18 July 2025 - Daily Current Affairs Updates

1. New Caledonia Subtopic: Decolonization Debate in the Pacific

   
   

   Value Addition:

   • France has announced more autonomy but stopped short of granting independence to this Pacific territory.

   • The indigenous Kanak population demands self-rule, while European-descended residents mostly oppose it.

   • Historical exploitation: islanders were forcibly taken for labor in the 19th century; officially annexed in 1853.

   
   

   Subject Analysis:

   • GS 1: World History – European colonialism and its modern legacy.

   • GS 1: Geography – Pacific island geopolitics.

   • Essay: “Decolonization is not history’s past—it is its unfinished chapter.”

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2. TALASH Initiative Subtopic: Holistic Tribal Student Empowerment via Digital Platform

   Value Addition:

   • Launched by the National Education Society for Tribal Students with UNICEF.

   • Targets over 1.38 lakh students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 28 states and 8 UTs.

   • First exclusive platform for tribal students integrating aptitude tests, psychometrics, career cards, and teacher training.

   Subject Analysis:

   • GS 2: Education – Inclusive digital platforms and tribal development.

   • GS 2: Governance – e-learning, social justice, youth skill-building.

   • Prelims: TAMANNA, EMRS, UNICEF collaborations.

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3. Arboviral Diseases – WHO Guidelines Subtopic: Global Framework for Arthropod-Borne Virus Management

   Value Addition:

   • Includes Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, West Nile Virus, etc., spread mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

   • Transmission routes also include blood transfusion, sexual contact, and vertical (mother-to-child).

   • WHO flags that over 5.6 billion people are now at risk; early diagnosis is difficult due to overlapping symptoms.

   Subject Analysis:

   • GS 3: Health – Disease surveillance, vector-borne outbreaks.

   • GS 3: Environment – Urban vector control, water stagnation.

   • Prelims: Arboviruses, Aedes species, WHO disease guidelines.
     

4. Nano-Fertilisers & Biostimulants Subtopic: Sustainable Nutrient Delivery Technologies

   Value Addition:

   • Nano-fertilisers: slow-release nutrients using nanoparticles (<100 nm), increase nutrient-use efficiency.

   • Biostimulants: non-nutrient substances/microbes (e.g. humic acid, mycorrhiza) that enhance plant stress tolerance, metabolism, and resilience.

   • Union Minister directed states to avoid “forced tagging” of nano/bio-inputs with traditional fertilisers like urea or DAP.

   Subject Analysis:

   • GS 3: Agriculture – Precision farming, input optimisation, sustainable productivity.

   • Science & Tech – Nanotechnology and plant biology convergence.

   • Essay: “Feed the plant, not the field – the nano revolution in Indian agriculture.”
     

5. Super-Earth (TOI-1846) Subtopic: Discovery of Intermediate Exoplanetary Body

   Value Addition:

   • Found using NASA’s TESS; 154 light-years away, orbiting a red dwarf star.

   • Twice Earth’s size; host star is water-rich, raising astrobiological interest.

   • Fills the mass gap between rocky Earth-like planets and gas giants like Neptune.

   Subject Analysis:

   • GS 3: Space – Exoplanetary classification, NASA missions.

   • Science & Tech – TESS, planetary system modelling.

   • Prelims: TOI-1846, Super-Earth, sub-Neptune.
     

6. Astra Missile Subtopic: Indigenous BVRAAM Weapon Capability

   Value Addition:

   • DRDO’s air-to-air missile with over 100 km range and indigenous RF seeker.

   • Successfully tested from Su-30MKI platform; precision confirmed via unmanned aerial target hits.

   • Collaborated with HAL and over 50 Indian industries.

   Subject Analysis:

   • GS 3: Defence – Indigenisation, missile technology, strategic autonomy.

   • Prelims: Astra, BVRAAM, Su-30MKI.