Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 26, 2025

Answer: B

Commemorated every year on 26 July

Aim : to mark India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War and the success of Operation Vijayin evicting Pakistani intruders from Indian territory.

 ABOUT KARGIL WAR & ITS SIGNIFICANCE:

• Background: The conflict began in May 1999 when Pakistani soldiers and militants occupied high-altitude Indian posts in the Kargil sector of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Response: Indian Army launched Operation Vijay, reclaiming the positions after intense combat that lasted nearly two months.
• Celebration: Includes tribute ceremonies at Kargil War Memorial (Drass), Amar Jawan Jyoti, and other defence establishments across India.
• Notable Observances: Army honours families of martyrs; events are held in schools and institutions to educate the youth.

Answer: C.

27 July marks the death anniversary of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India’s 11th President and an eminent aerospace scientist, who passed away in 2015 while delivering a lecture at IIM Shillong.

 ABOUT DR A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM:

• Contributions in Science & Defence:
  • Played a key role in India’s space and missile programmes at ISRO and DRDO.
  • Chief architect of Pokhran-II nuclear tests (1998).
  • Known as the “Missile Man of India”.
• Presidency (2002–2007):
  • Popular among youth; emphasised science, technology, and moral leadership.
  • Advocated for education, innovation, and national development.
• Legacy:
  • Remembered as a visionary leader and people’s president.
  • Tamil Nadu instituted the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award to honour excellence in science and social service.
  • Kalam Memorial built at Rameswaram, his final resting place.

Answer: B

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Great Ruaha River in Tanzania is drying up, severely affecting ecosystems and local communities dependent on it.

 ABOUT THE GREAT RUAHA RIVER:

• Flows approximately 475 km through the Iringa, Dodoma, and Morogoro regions before joining the Rufiji River basin.
• Supports the USangu wetlands and Ruaha National Park, which are rich in biodiversity.
• Environmental Impact:
  • Dry-season water flow has drastically reduced since the 1990s.
  • Harmful effects on agriculture, tourism, and wildlife habitats.
• Key Causes:
  • Climate change (reduced rainfall and altered flow patterns).
  • Over-abstraction of water for irrigation and farming.

Answer: A

CURRENT CONTEXT: The state of Goa is preparing to file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka for allegedly diverting water from the Mhadei River through the Kalasa-Banduri project.

 ABOUT MHADEI RIVER & DISPUTE:

• Origin: Jamboti Ghat, Karnataka.
• Flows through Goa and Maharashtra into the Arabian Sea.
• Kalasa-Banduri Project:
  • Diverts water from Mhadei’s tributaries to the Malaprabha River basin.
• Water Allocation (2018 Tribunal Award):
  • Goa: 24 tmcft
  • Karnataka: 5.4 tmcft
  • Maharashtra: 1.33 tmcft
• Dispute Highlights:
  • Goa alleges illegal water diversion, affecting Western Ghats ecology.
  • Karnataka defends the move citing tribunal approval and central clearance.
• The issue raises questions on federal rights, water sharing, and ecological balance.

Answer: B

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will retire all MiG-21 fighter jets by September 2025, marking the end of over 62 years of service. The final ceremonial flight will take place on 19 September 2025 at Chandigarh, flown by No. 23 Squadron “Panthers”.

 ABOUT MIG-21 FIGHTER JETS:

• First Inducted:
• Over 600 units built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Nickname: “Flying Coffin” due to frequent accidents.
• Combat Role: India’s first supersonic jet fighter; served in wars of 1965, 1971, 1999 (Kargil), and Balakot 2019.

 SIGNIFICANCE OF RETIREMENT:

• Strategic Shift: Being replaced by Tejas LCA Mk 1A, part of India’s indigenous defence drive.
• Squadron Challenge: IAF now has only 31 operational squadrons, below the required 42 squadrons.
• Future Outlook: Opens opportunities for private players and expansion in UAVs and next-gen aircraft.

Answer: B

CURRENT CONTEXT: Over 900 cattle have been infected with Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Pune district of Maharashtra.

 ABOUT LUMPY SKIN DISEASE:

• Cause: LSD is a viral disease affecting cattle and buffaloes. It is not transmissible to humans.
• Transmission: Spread through mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and partly through contaminated feed or water.
• Symptoms: Infected animals show fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and multiple skin nodules. It leads to reduced milk production and can be fatal.

 CONTROL MEASURES & SIGNIFICANCE:

• Vaccination: The indigenous Lumpi‑ProVacInd vaccine, developed in 2022, is safe and effective.
• Strategy: Involves ring vaccination within a 5 km radius, vector control, public awareness, and restriction of animal movement.

Answer: B

CURRENT CONTEXT: The Tamil Nadu government has approved a ₹19.2 crore project to restore the ancient Chola Gangam Lake in Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The announcement coincides with the birth centenary celebrations of King Rajendra Chola Iand precedes Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled visit to the area on 27 July.

 ABOUT CHOLA GANGAM LAKE:

• Other Name: Also known as Ponneri Lake.
• Historical Significance: Built by King Rajendra Chola I as a “liquid pillar of victory” after his successful expedition to the Ganges.
• Scale: Originally covered about 700 acres with a 16-mile embankment, fed by a branch of the Kollidam River.

 RESTORATION DETAILS:

• Physical Restoration (₹12 crore): Includes desilting, strengthening embankments, and renovating 15 km of canals and spillways, aimed at irrigating over 1,374 acres.
• Tourism Promotion (₹7.2 crore): Infrastructure will include walking paths, fencing, parks, CCTVs, and environmental landscaping.
• Cultural Importance: A museum is planned near the lake to highlight its heritage value.

Answer: C

Current Context: NASA has launched the TRACERS mission to study how Earth’s magnetic field protects the planet from solar storms and space weather.

ABOUT TRACERS MISSION

• TRACERS stands for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites.
• It is designed to study magnetic reconnection, a process where the Sun’s magnetic field interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.
• These interactions can cause energy bursts that affect satellites, power grids, and communication systems on Earth.
• The mission will focus on the polar cusp—a region near the North Pole where Earth’s magnetic shield is most exposed.

 OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION

• To measure magnetic reconnection and energy transfer in Earth’s polar cusp region.
• To study how solar energy and particles enter Earth’s upper atmosphere.
• To help improve understanding of space weather effects on Earth’s infrastructure.