Answer:  C

CURRENT CONTEXT : 4th July 2025 marked the 123rd Punyatithi (Death Anniversary) of Swami Vivekananda, the revered spiritual leader and nationalist thinker.

 ABOUT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

• Born as Narendranath Datta on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta.
• Disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa who transformed his spiritual outlook.
• Took the name Vivekananda in 1893 on advice of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri.
• Attained Mahasamadhi on 4 July 1902 at Belur Math, West Bengal.

 CONTRIBUTIONS

• Spread Vedanta, Hinduism & Yoga in the West.
• Advocated universal brotherhood, service to humanity, and spiritual nationalism.
• Inspired Indian freedom fighters with the slogan:
  “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached.”

 CHICAGO SPEECH – 1893

• Delivered a speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions, Chicago.
• Opened with “Sisters and brothers of America” – received standing ovation.
• Introduced Vedantic philosophy and Hindu thought to the West.

PATHS TO LIBERATION

• Proposed four Yogic paths to attain Moksha:
• Raja Yoga: Meditation and control of the mind
• Karma Yoga: Selfless service
• Jnana Yoga: Path of knowledge
• Bhakti Yoga: Path of devotion

RAMAKRISHNA MISSION

• Founded in 1897 to spread his Guru’s message.
• Focus areas: Education, healthcare, relief work, and spirituality.
• Motto: “Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya Cha” (For one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world)

Answer: c

Current Context: The Union Government approved a ₹1,894 crore (approx. US $221.25 million) funding package for the PM MITRA Park in Virudhunagar. The park is expected to be operational by September 2026.

 About PM MITRA PARK – VIRUDHUNAGAR

• Site & Scale: 1,052‑acre Greenfield park in E. Kumaralingapuram, with world-class plug‑and‑play infrastructure.
• Investment & Employment: Projected to attract ₹10,000 crore, create ~1 lakh jobs, and support technical textile production.

ABOUT PM MITRA SCHEME

• Launch: Announced in Union Budget 2021–22; 7 mega integrated textile parks approved .
• Funding: ₹4,445 crore central funding (2021–28); includes Capital Development Support & Incentives Support .
• Objective : To strengthen the Indian textile industry by enabling scale of operations, reducing logistics costs, attracting investment, generating employment, and boosting export potential.
• Infrastructure: Equipped with plug‑and‑play units, common effluent treatment, housing, testing centres .
• Employment & Investment: Per park—~100,000 direct + 200,000 indirect jobs; aims to attract FDI, reduce logistics costs .

Answer: c

CURRENT CONTEXT : On 3rd July 2025, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan since its 2021 takeover.

 ABOUT THE RECOGNITION

• Russia removed the Taliban from its list of banned organisations.
• Accepted the credentials of Gul Hassan Hassan, Taliban-appointed Afghan ambassador.
• Aimed at practical engagement and regional stability.

 GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE

• Recognition may shift international dynamics around Afghanistan.
• China supported the move; Western nations remain cautious due to human rights violations and lack of women’s rights.

 BACKGROUND

• Taliban regained power in August 2021 post US–NATO withdrawal.
• Most countries withheld recognition citing:
• Suppression of women’s rights
• Lack of inclusivity
• Human rights concerns

Answer: b

CURRENT CONTEXT : Recently, the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal was launched to provide public access to data on student performance across States and UTs.

 ABOUT PARAKH

• Full form : Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development.
• Established in 2023 under NCERT as an independent national assessment centre.
• Part of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

 OBJECTIVES

• Establish norms, standards, and guidelines for assessments.
• Strengthen student evaluation, school board equivalence, and holistic learning.

 PARAKH PORTAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides open access to data from Achievement Surveys and assessments.
• Enables States/UTs to identify learning gaps and create targeted action plans.
• Supports creation of Holistic Progress Cards.

Answer: c

CURRENT CONTEXT : Recently, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released nutritional data based on Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (2022–23 & 2023–24).

Relevant data of Report

 AVERAGE DAILY CALORIE INTAKE (per capita)

• Rural Areas:
• 2233 kcal (2022–23)
• 2212 kcal (2023–24)
• Urban Areas:
• 2250 kcal (2022–23)
• 2240 kcal (2023–24)

PROTEIN SOURCES

• Cereals are still primary protein sources but their share declined:
• ~14% drop in rural areas
• ~12% drop in urban areas
• Rise in consumption of eggs, fish, milk, and meat offset the drop.

 LINK WITH INCOME – MPCE IMPACT

• Higher MPCE (Monthly Per Capita Expenditure) → Higher Calorie Intake.
• Reflects economic nutrition correlation.

 NARROWING INEQUALITY GAP

• 2023–24 Calorie Intake by economic groups:
• Rural Bottom 5%: 1688 kcal
• Rural Top 5%: 2941 kcal
• Urban Bottom 5%: 1696 kcal
• Urban Top 5%: 3092 kcal
• Shows a narrowing gap between rich and poor in calorie intake since 2009–10.

Answer: (c)

CURRENT CONTEXT : Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently launched Operation MED MAX (2025) to crack down on a global pharmaceutical drug trafficking syndicate that was using digital platforms and cryptocurrency.

 ABOUT OPERATION MED MAX

• Launched by: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), India
• Objective: To dismantle a transnational syndicate smuggling controlled medicines
• Scale: Operation spanned across 4 continents and 10+ countries (USA, Australia, UAE, etc.)
• Trigger: Seizure of 3.7 kg Tramadol tablets from two B.Pharm graduates in Delhi (May 2025)
• Techniques Used by Syndicate:
  • Encrypted platforms (Telegram, dark web)
  • Drop shipping model
  • Payments via cryptocurrency, PayPal, Western Union
  • A full-scale call centre operated in Udupi, Karnataka
• Key Seizures: 50+ consignments, including to the USA, Australia, Estonia, Switzerland
• Collaborators: US DEA, Australian Police (Zolpidem pill factory busted)

Answer: B.

CURRENT CONTEXT : Recently, five tigers (a tigress and her four cubs) were found dead due to poisoning in the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka.

 About MM Hills Sanctuary

• Location: Southeast Karnataka, in Chamarajanagar district
• Notified: 2013
• Corridor: Links Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT) and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
• Forest Types:
  • Dry deciduous forests
  • Semi-evergreen and Shola forests at higher altitudes
• Key Species: Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Dhole (wild dog), Sloth Bear
• Communities Present: Soligas and Lingayats
• Ecological Role: Vital Eastern Ghats–Western Ghats corridor

Answer: B.

CURRENT CONTEXT : On 4 July 2025, the Ministry of Coal launched the RECLAIM Framework for inclusive community engagement during mine closures.

 ABOUT RECLAIM

• Full Form: Responsible, Equitable, Community-led, Landscape-level Approach for Indian Mine Closure
• Developed by:
  • Coal Controller Organisation, Ministry of Coal
  • In collaboration with Heartfulness Institute
• Purpose:
  • To support communities affected by mine closures
  • Promote ecological restoration and livelihood security
  • Goal: Ensuring a just and sustainable transition for mining communities

Answer: B

CURRENT CONTEXT : Puducherry has become the first UT in India to integrate tuberculosis (TB) screening into the Family Adoption Programme, an NMC-mandated initiative led by medical colleges.

 ABOUT FAMILY ADOPTION PROGRAMME (FAP)

• Mandated by: National Medical Commission (NMC)
• Concept: Medical students adopt 3–5 families each and engage in long-term follow-up over 3 years
• New Addition in Puducherry:
  • Routine TB screening of adopted family members as part of community outreach
  • Collaboration between medical students, colleges, and local health authorities

ABOUT NTEP IN PUDUCHERRY

• National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) active since Feb 20, 2004
• Coverage: Single TB district covering 92 lakh population
• Infrastructure:
  • 7 TB Units
  • 28 Diagnostic Centres
  • 1 Intermediate Reference Lab (IRL) at Govt. Hospital for Chest Diseases (with Culture + Drug Susceptibility Testing)