Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 9th July 2025 - UPSC MCQ

1. Panna Tiger Reserve - Located in the Eastern Ghats: Incorrect. Panna Tiger Reserve is located in the Vindhyan mountain range, covering an area within the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zone and Biotic Province of the Central Highlands, not the Eastern Ghats.

2. RECLAIM Framework - Focuses on sustainable coal mine closure: Correct. The RECLAIM Framework is indeed designed to facilitate inclusive and sustainable coal mine closures in India, focusing on community engagement and development.

3. Miniature Plasma Loops - Found in the Earth's atmosphere: Incorrect. Miniature plasma loops are found in the Sun's atmosphere, not the Earth's atmosphere. They offer insights into solar activity and energy storage and release in the Sun's atmosphere.

4. Ken River - Flows through Panna Tiger Reserve: Correct. The Ken River flows through Panna Tiger Reserve from south to north, contributing to the reserve's ecological diversity.

Thus, pairs 2 and 4 are correctly matched.

1. UNFCCC - Rio Earth Summit 1992: Correctly matched. The UNFCCC was indeed signed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, making this pair correct.

2. Bonn Climate Meeting - Annual preparation for COP summits: Correctly matched. The Bonn climate meeting is held annually to prepare for the COP summits, making this pair correct.

3. Erasmus Programme - Launched by the United Nations in 1987: Incorrectly matched. The Erasmus Programme was launched by the European Union, not the United Nations, in 1987. Therefore, this pair is incorrect.

4. RDSNS - Developed by Raman Research Institute: Correctly matched. Raman-Driven Spin Noise Spectroscopy (RDSNS) was developed by researchers at the Raman Research Institute, making this pair correct.

Pairs 1, 2, and 4 are correctly matched, while pair 3 is incorrectly matched. Thus, only two pairs are correctly matched.

- Statement-I is accurate as per the provided details about the UNFCCC facing a credibility crisis due to various structural inefficiencies and challenges in international climate negotiations.
- Statement-II is also correct based on the information given about the Erasmus Programme supporting international academic mobility for students by facilitating studies at multiple European universities and covering various expenses such as tuition fees, travel costs, and living expenses.
- Statement-II explains Statement-I as both statements address different spheres of international cooperation—one focusing on climate agreements and the other on academic mobility in Europe. Both are correct and do not contradict each other.

The RECLAIM Framework, initiated by the Ministry of Coal, is primarily designed to enhance community engagement and development during the closure and repurposing of coal mines in India. It aims to ensure a fair transition for communities impacted by mine closures, emphasizing inclusivity and sustainability. This framework focuses on active participation from local stakeholders in the closure processes, with the goal of achieving more equitable outcomes for affected communities.

Statement-I correctly describes the aim of the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project, which is to enhance maritime and coastal security through data integration and information sharing among maritime stakeholders. Statement-II accurately portrays the situation regarding the 'Neutral Clean-Up' of Bihar's Poll Rolls, highlighting the potential disenfranchisement risks posed by the bureaucratic exercise. While both statements are factually correct, they pertain to different contexts and do not have a direct explanatory relationship. Hence, the correct answer is (b), indicating that both statements are correct but do not explain each other.

- Statement 1 is correct. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was indeed signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and entered into force on March 21, 1994. This foundational fact about the UNFCCC is well-documented and central to its history.

- Statement 2 is correct. Brazil is actively proposing reforms aimed at structural streamlining to make the negotiation process more inclusive and efficient, especially as it hosts COP30. This includes eliminating overlapping agenda items and limiting delegation sizes, which reflects Brazil's commitment to enhancing the process.

- Statement 3 is incorrect. The U.S. withdrawal under the Trump administration did have a significant impact on the credibility of the UNFCCC negotiation process. It led to diminished trust and efficacy perceptions globally, as the U.S. is a major player in international climate negotiations. This withdrawal was widely criticized and affected the overall confidence in the process.

Thus, only statements 1 and 2 are correct, making Option B the correct choice.

The primary objective of the Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile, as highlighted in recent news, is to scan the southern hemisphere sky continuously for a decade. This ambitious undertaking involves collecting 20 terabytes of data nightly, with the aim of providing unprecedented insights into the cosmos and advancing our understanding of the universe.

The National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project, recently launched by the Indian Navy, primarily aims at strengthening maritime and coastal security in India. This project focuses on integrating data collation, analysis, and information sharing among various maritime stakeholders to enhance surveillance and decision-making capabilities, crucial for safeguarding India's maritime interests.

(Note: The solution clarifies the key objective of the NMDA Project and its significance in bolstering maritime security in the region.)

To determine the correct statements, let's analyze each one:

1. Statement 1 is correct. The NMDA Project indeed aims to integrate data from sectors such as commercial shipping and fisheries, which is crucial for enhancing response capabilities to maritime threats, search-and-rescue operations, and environmental incidents. This integration is a key objective of the project to ensure comprehensive maritime domain awareness.

2. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) is located in Gurugram, not Mumbai. It will be transformed into a Multi-Agency NMDA Centre as part of the project, thus making this statement false due to the incorrect location.

3. Statement 3 is correct. The project does include the incorporation of AI-enabled software to improve surveillance and enhance decision-making capabilities, which is a significant upgrade to the existing systems.

Given the analysis, only statements 1 and 3 are correct. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Vera C Rubin Observatory is indeed located in Chile, specifically at an elevation of 8,684 feet atop Cerro Pachón, which is part of the Andes mountain range and is often associated with the broader region of the Atacama Desert.

2. Statement 2 is incorrect. The digital camera of the Vera C Rubin Observatory actually has a resolution of 3,200 megapixels, not 1,600 megapixels. This makes it the largest digital camera ever constructed.

3. Statement 3 is correct. The Observatory's telescope, known for its rapid slewing capability, can indeed move to a new target in just five seconds due to its innovative three-mirror design and oil-film mount, which allows for such quick repositioning.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 3, making Option C: 1 and 3 Only the correct answer.