UPSC ENGLISH QUIZ 25.07.2025

Explanation

• India has supported the US decision to officially designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
• The Ministry of External Affairs has termed it a “timely and significant step”.The decision comes three months after TRF claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Resistance Front (TRF)’

• Introduction: TRF is a Pakistan-based terror group active in Jammu and Kashmir. It was formed in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370. It is widely believed to be a proxy organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
• Objective of formation: TRF was formed after the weakening of Lashkar-e-Taiba's leadership to give terrorism a local and indigenous form.
• Its purpose was to avoid international surveillance (especially after Pakistan was placed on the grey list by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). TRF was formed as part of a strategy to portray terrorism in Kashmir as a "local mass movement".

Explanation

• Supreme Court has issued procedural guidelines to ensure proper and uniform management of DNA evidence.
• The guidelines are aimed at ensuring that DNA evidence is managed in the same way everywhere, as it is a highly sensitive part of criminal investigation.
• The move came after the Supreme Court acquitted a man who was sentenced to death in the 2011 rape and murder case of two people in Tamil Nadu.
• The court found that the conviction was based solely on DNA evidence, which could not be relied upon due to serious procedural lapses – such as post-mortems being conducted in the open and inefficient documentation of crucial DNA samples.

Guidelines issued by the Supreme Court

• Biological samples should be collected by trained personnel equipped with protective equipment.
• After collecting the samples, they should be immediately sealed in a tamper-proof container and clearly marked with relevant information such as FIR number, date, relevant sections and laws, details of the investigating officer and police station.

Explanation

• Global Wetland Outlook 2025 report has been released by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention. The Global Wetland Outlook is a periodic assessment that provides information on the status, trends and challenges of wetlands globally.

Key findings from the Global Wetland Outlook 2025

• Global wetland coverage: Wetlands (seagrass meadows, kelp forests, coral reefs, estuarine waters, salt marshes, mangroves, tidal plains, lakes, rivers and streams, inland marshes and swamps, and peatlands) cover more than 1,800 million hectares globally, covering inland freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems. However, data uncertainty remains due to inconsistent methods and gaps in historical data.
• Loss and Degradation: Since 1970, approximately 411 million hectares of wetlands have been lost worldwide, representing a global decline of 22%, with an average annual loss rate of -0.52%. Wetlands in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are experiencing the most severe degradation, but ecological degradation is also occurring rapidly in Europe, North America and Oceania. Wetlands are in the worst condition in least developed countries (LDCs). In the upper-middle income and developed countries, most wetlands are in good condition, while the number of wetlands in poor condition is low.

Explanation

• The government has initiated the process to acquire Bitra Island of Lakshadweep for defence purposes.

Bitra Island

• Introduction: It is the smallest inhabited island of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
• Geography and Location: Located at 11°36′ north latitude and 72°11′ east longitude, the island is located about 483 km (261 nautical miles) from Kochi.
• It is part of the Aminidivi subgroup and has a length of about 0.57 km and a maximum width of 0.28 km.
• Climate: The climate of Bitra is similar to that of Kerala.
• Hot season: From March to May, the temperature ranges between 25°C to 35°C.
• Annual rainfall: About 1600 mm.
• Lagoon and Marine Ecosystem: The island is surrounded by a vast lagoon of about 45.61 sq km, which supports rich marine biodiversity.
• Population and Lifestyle: As per 2011 census, the population of the island is 271. Most of the people depend on fishing and coconut farming.
• Strategic Importance: Bitra Island is located near major maritime trade routes and the defence base to be set up here will complement the naval bases like INS Dwiprakashak located at Kavaratti and INS Jatayu located at Minicoy.

Explanation

• ISRO to launch Earth Observation Satellite NISAR, jointly developed with NASA.
• On 31st July 2025, ISRO will launch the NISAR Earth Observation satellite, developed jointly with the NASA.
• GSLV F16 heavy lift rocket will place the satellite into a 743 km Sun Synchronous orbit.
• The NISAR satellite will scan the entire globe every 12 days and provide high-resolution, all-weather, day and night data.

NISAR

• It is the first satellite to observe the Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar.
• NASA’s L band and ISRO’s S band radar will use NASA’s large 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna that is integrated into ISRO’s modified satellite.
• The L band radar can penetrate thick forests and dense vegetation, while the S band provides crystal clear surface details.
• It will observe Earth using SweepSAR technology for the first time.
• The radars can subtle changes in Earth’s surface to monitor sea ice, vegetation, storm tracking, soil moisture changes, surface water mapping and disaster probabilities.