Current Affairs – July 03, 2025

{GS1 – Geo – PG –Geomorphology} Mud Volcano

Context (LS): The Wandan mud volcano in Taiwan recently erupted.

What are Mud Volcanoes?

Mud Volcanoes are landforms formed by the eruption of mud, water, and gases, rather than molten rock. Eruptions of mud volcanoes are generally cool, unlike magmatic volcanoes.
They do not involve lava or magma. They emit methane, CO₂, and nitrogen, often under high pressure.
Some remain constantly active, while others experience periodic bursts.
Despite lower explosiveness, they can trigger fires.

Why Flames Occur?

Hydrocarbon gases like methane may ignite naturally from surface heat or deliberately by human action, e.g., Wandan volcano flames resulted from locals burning ejected methane gas after eruptions.
Gas movement through fractures may ignite due to friction between rocks.
Electrical discharges from gas clouds can ignite flammable methane plumes.

Types of Mud Volcanoes

Cold Mud Volcanoes: These emit cool mud and gases and do not involve geothermal heating.
Hot Mud Volcanoes: They cause warmer emissions, linked to subduction zones & geothermal activity.
Island Mud Volcanoes: These emerge offshore and may form temporary mud islands.
Onshore Cone Domes: They have dome-shaped mud features common in petroleum-rich sedimentary basins.

Mud Volcanoes vs Regular Volcanoes

Eruption Material: Mud volcanoes emit mud and gas; regular volcanoes release lava and ash.
Heat Source: Mud volcanoes involve surface gases; regular volcanoes arise from mantle magma.
Explosiveness: Regular volcanoes are explosive; mud volcanoes erupt under low pressure.
Geological Depth: Mud volcanoes are shallow phenomena; regular ones stem from deep crust.
Hazard Type: Mud volcanoes cause fire and subsidence; regular ones trigger lava flows.

{GS2 – IR – Groupings} India’s Strategic Pivot with BRICS

Context (IE): Amid rising geopolitical uncertainty and a retreating U.S., India is recalibrating its foreign policy by deepening multilateral ties like BRICS.

Strategic Relevance of BRICS

Global Weight: With 11 member countries, BRICS represents nearly 50% of the world’s population and about 40% of global GDP.
Diverse Yet Cohesive: Unlike the ideologically aligned G7, BRICS brings together nations with varied political systems and economic models making it both resilient and complex.
Multilateral Shield: In an era marked by U.S. retreat from global leadership and weakening of institutions like WTO & WHO, BRICS offers its members strategic autonomy & a collective bargaining platform.
South-South Solidarity: It strengthens cooperation among developing nations, boosts global standing, and presents an alternative vision of global governance amid a shifting multipolar order.

Key Developments at the 2025 Rio Summit

Increased Representation: The first BRICS Summit post-2024 expansion brought new Global South members onboard, enhancing inclusivity but complicating consensus due to diverse national agendas.
Geopolitical Assertion: BRICS condemned Israel’s attack on Iran as a violation of international law. India’s endorsement signalled a strategic shift towards greater foreign policy autonomy.
Global Governance: Key themes included ethical AI, climate change, health, and governance reforms, areas where BRICS is filling the vacuum left by Western disengagement.
De-dollarisation: While a joint currency remains off the table, members are increasing trade in national currencies and promoting non-dollar benchmarks, signalling financial independence.
India’s Strategic Balancing: India continues to walk a tightrope, maintaining ties with the US while reinforcing BRICS as a platform for promoting multipolarity and addressing global development challenges.

Strategic Implications for India

Diplomatic Autonomy: India’s active participation reaffirms its commitment to multi-engagement foreign policy, resisting pressure from Western powers.
Global South Leadership: India’s alignment with BRICS on contentious geopolitical issues enhances its credibility as a voice of the Global South.
Economic Diversification: Strengthening trade in national currencies and financial independence within BRICS opens avenues for reducing overdependence on the US dollar.

Way Forward for India

Promote Complementarity, Not Competition: India should continue balancing its role in BRICS alongside Western forums like the G20, Quad, and G7 to leverage diverse strategic platforms.
Shape Global Governance: Use BRICS to influence emerging global rules on issues such as technology, climate change, financial architecture, and development equity.
Amplify Voice of the Global South: Champion collective South-South cooperation to address common challenges like terrorism, energy transition, digital inclusion, and healthcare access.
Build Resilience: Utilize BRICS as a geopolitical buffer to navigate trade wars, currency volatility, and declining multilateral effectiveness.

{GS2 – IR – Groupings} Quad Critical Minerals Initiative

Context (TH): The Quad grouping has launched the Critical Minerals Initiative to enhance economic security and counter China’s coercive practices, including price manipulation.

It aims to strengthen economic security and build collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify access to critical minerals.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) is a strategic security dialogue among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

Importance

It will bolster supply chain resilience by securing and diversifying access to key minerals essential for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and advanced technologies.
In response to China’s dominant position in the global critical minerals supply chain, the initiative aims to mitigate strategic risks, including economic coercion and price manipulation.
By reducing its overreliance on a single source, the Quad aims to ensure long-term economic security, achieve its energy transition goals, and promote regional stability.

Read More > Critical Minerals

{GS2 – IR – Issues} Rephasing Global Development Finance

Context (TH): With shrinking global development finance and rising geopolitical tensions, India is strategically pivoting by deepening Global South ties and promoting Triangular Cooperation to reshape the aid architecture.

Declining Development Finance

Sharp Drop in ODA: Global Official Development Assistance (ODA) is projected to fall from $214 billion in 2023 to $97 billion, marking a 45% decline.
Sovereign Debt Stress: Many least developed and middle-income countries are experiencing debt distress, making credit-based aid models riskier and implementation of development programmes harder.
Higher Cost of Borrowing: Increased borrowing costs have made financing development more unpredictable and expensive for vulnerable nations.
SDG Investment Gap: The financing needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has surged from $2.5 trillion in 2015 to over $4 trillion in 2024, widening the development finance gap.

Triangular Cooperation: A Strategic Solution

Triangular Cooperation (TrC) is a collaborative development model. It aims to deliver inclusive development by combining technical expertise, local knowledge, and financial resources. It involves:
- A traditional donor from the Global North.
- A pivotal partner from the Global South (e.g., India).
- A recipient country in the Global South.
Key Objectives: To promote South-South solidarity, enable inclusive and need-based growth, and leverage the strengths of multiple stakeholders for greater development impact.

India’s Strategic TrC Engagements

During its G20 Presidency, India emphasised TrC through multilateral and bilateral platforms:
- India-Germany TrC projects across Africa and Latin America.
- Global Innovation Partnership (GIP) with the United Kingdom, promoting sustainable development innovations in third countries.
- Trilateral dialogues with Germany, the EU, France, and the US, exploring investment-driven and grant-based cooperation.

Significance of Triangular Cooperation (TrC)

Bridges North-South Divide: TrC promotes equitable partnerships rooted in mutual respect rather than donor-recipient hierarchies.
Cost-effective and Scalable: Shared financial and technical contributions reduce fiscal stress on any single partner and allow for scaled-up outcomes.
Tackles Social Needs Together: Projects like regional energy grids not only improve infrastructure but also expand digital connectivity and access to education and healthcare.

Way Forward for India

India must deepen its engagement in TrC to remain a credible development partner. This includes:

Mapping complementary strengths with like-minded nations (e.g., Japan, Brazil, Indonesia).
Prioritising localised and inclusive development strategies.
Balancing all five modalities of engagement under the Global Development Compact.
Institutionalising frameworks to implement, monitor, and evaluate TrC outcomes.

{GS2 – MoJS – Initiatives} C-FLOOD Portal

Context (PIB): The C-FLOOD (Comprehensive Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System) Portal was launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to improve flood forecasting down to the village level.

About the Portal

The C-FLOOD portal was launched under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), led jointly by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the MeitY, and the DST.
Developed By: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, with support from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
Rivers Covered: Mahanadi, Godavari, and Tapi river basins.
Objectives:
- To improve prediction precision through satellite-based validation and on-ground data verification.
- To support evidence-based flood management by integrating multiple real-time data sources into forecast models.

Technology Used: It employs 2D hydrodynamic modelling backed by high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure to generate village-level flood maps connected to disaster response systems.
- 2D Hydrodynamic Modelling: It simulates horizontal flow of floodwater across terrain using elevation, rainfall, and discharge data to estimate flood spread and depth.

National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)

The NSM was launched in 2015 as a Central Sector Scheme to build India’s supercomputing capacity.
Nodal Ministries: It is jointly led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Implementing Agency: C-DAC, Pune, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
Objective: It supports high-performance computing applications in disaster forecasting, artificial intelligence, and material science research.

{GS2 – MoPPGP – Initiatives} Scheme for Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2025

Context (PIB): The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) Notifies the Scheme for Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2025.

The Scheme was initially instituted in 2006 and subsequently restructured in 2014 and 2020.
- The Scheme was revamped in 2021 with a new approach, aiming to encourage Constructive Competition, Innovation, Replication, and Institutionalisation of Best Practices.
Aim: To recognize the performance of the district collector through targeted individual beneficiaries and implementation with a saturation approach.
Objective: To promote greater efforts for the holistic development of India, with a focus on a saturation approach, collation of data/ documentary evidence, and focusing on Good Governance and Qualitative aspects concerning the implementation of 11 priority sector schemes.
- 11 priority sector schemes evaluated under the Scheme – Har Ghar Jal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Mission Indradhanush, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Kisan Credit Card, etc.
Award Categories: A Total of 16 Awards will be given under the following three categories –
1. Category I (5 Awards): Holistic Development of Districts under 11 priority sector programmes.
2. Category II (5 Awards): Aspirational Blocks Programme.
3. Category III (6 Awards): Innovations for Central Ministries/Departments, States and Districts.
The Award consists of a trophy, a scroll, and an incentive of ₹20 lakh for the awarded district.

Context (TH): As per The Lancet (2023), India has 1.44 million zero-dose children the world’s second highest after Nigeria, underscoring a critical immunisation gap that endangers both individual and public health.

Who Are Zero-Dose Children?

As per WHO, a zero-dose child is one under the age of one who hasn’t received any routine vaccination.
These children face greater lifetime risk of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, polio, and diphtheria.

Why It Matters?

Threat to Herd Immunity: Zero-dose children weaken community-wide protection, hindering disease elimination efforts.
Post-COVID Spike: Pandemic-related disruptions led to a sharp rise in zero-dose cases; while recovery has begun, coverage still lags pre-pandemic levels.
Beyond the Metric: The zero-dose figure excludes partially vaccinated or older unvaccinated children, an unseen, equally at-risk population

Structural Gaps and Challenges

Geographic Clustering: Zero-dose children are concentrated in urban slums, conflict zones, and remote communities. These clusters lack not only vaccines but also essential public health services like nutrition and sanitation.
Access and Awareness: Many parents, especially in vulnerable communities, are unaware of routine immunisation schedules. Some are unable to take time off work or travel to health centres.
Documentation Barriers: The digital UWIN platform faces inclusivity challenges, as it often requires mobile access and identification documents like Aadhaar, items many marginalised families lack.
Post-Pandemic Recovery: Routine vaccinations were sidelined during COVID-19, and the system still struggles to bring immunisation levels back to pre-pandemic standards.

Policy Interventions

Mission Intensified Indradhanush: This initiative has focused on expanding routine immunisation in vulnerable districts through targeted campaigns.
Catch-up Vaccinations: Programmes are now designed to immunise older children who missed early doses.
Door-to-Door Drives: Health workers in states like those in the North-East are reaching children in weekly markets and remote areas.
Zero-Dose Implementation Plan: Focused on 143 vulnerable districts across 11 states.

Way Forward

To achieve the WHO’s 2030 target of halving zero-dose children, India should:

Strengthen Last-Mile Delivery: Improve outreach in marginalised, remote, and underserved areas.
Broaden Catch-Up Efforts: Include older unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children, not just infants.
Holistically Integrated: Link vaccination with nutrition, sanitation, maternal care, and health education for greater impact.
Enhance Digital Inclusion: Upgrade platforms like U-WIN to support offline access and undocumented populations.
Drive Community Engagement: Promote awareness through local leaders, schools, and civil society partnerships. Meeting targets is not enough, communities must understand and value vaccines to maintain uptake even after disease prevalence declines.

{GS3 – Envi – Degradation} Jellyfish blooms

Context (DTE): Jellyfish blooms have been reported in Kerala’s Cochin backwaters.

A jellyfish bloom is a sudden, dense aggregation of jellyfish triggered by environmental changes.
It usually occurs in India during April to May and October to December.
Key Bloom Species: Acromitus flagellatus, Blackfordia virginica, Pleurobrachia sp., & Pelagia noctiluca.

Causes for Bloom

Nutrient Enrichment: Runoff-induced eutrophication increases phytoplankton, supporting jellyfish food availability.
Environmental Shift: Rising temperature and pollution reduce oxygen levels, creating conditions where jellyfish thrive but fish decline.
Coastal Currents: Wind, tides, and currents concentrate jellyfish nearshore, increasing their density and triggering blooms.

Kerala’s Distinct Bloom Timing

Unlike other coasts with blooms in April–May & Oct–Dec, Kerala sees longer, shifted bloom periods.
Persistent Salinity: Backwaters stay saline in dry months, supporting off-season blooms.
Weak River Flow: Low summer discharge delays flushing of jellyfish.
Local Mixing: Estuarine tides maintain warm, bloom-friendly conditions beyond usual seasons.

Impacts of Jellyfish Bloom

Fisheries Disruption: Blooms clog nets, damage gear, and drastically reduce fish catch for local fishers.
Tourism Loss: Jellyfish stings and coastal swarms reduce beach tourism and local business revenue.
Ecosystem Dominance: Jellyfish outcompete fish in degraded systems, leading to lower biodiversity.
Biogeochemical Alteration: Blooms accelerate organic matter cycling and modify nutrient flows in coastal waters.

About Jellyfish

Jellyfish are gelatinous, soft-bodied marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria.
They drift passively with ocean currents and cannot actively swim against strong currents.
They occur in tropical, temperate, and polar oceans, and also in brackish estuarine waters.
Jellyfish populations respond rapidly to changes in temperature, salinity, and nutrient levels.

Positive Roles

Plankton Regulation: They feed on zooplankton and larvae, helping control lower trophic levels.
Nutrient Recycling: Decaying jellyfish release organic matter that enhances bacterial activity and nutrient cycling on coasts.
Biochemical Utility: They are being studied for bioactive compounds in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

{GS3 – S&T – Tech} Quantum Tech and India: Need for Global Partnerships

Context (IE): As the global tech race intensifies, quantum technology is becoming crucial to digital, economic, and national security. India must now focus not just on investing in quantum capabilities but on forging strategic alignments to stay competitive.

Importance of Quantum Technology

Massive Market Potential: By 2040, the global quantum technology market is projected to reach $100 billion, with the quantum communication segment alone expected to cross $13 billion by 2034.
Power to Shape Global Rules: Nations that lead in quantum computing, encryption, and sensing will shape digital governance norms and global standards.
Current Leaders: The US and China dominate the quantum race through control over high-end fabrication, cryogenic systems, and laser technologies.
- China has deployed a 1,000-km quantum-encrypted communication network. Western firms like Volkswagen are applying quantum tools for real-world problem-solving.

India’s Quantum Achievements

India has made substantial progress in hardware and communication within its quantum ecosystem.
DRDO–TCS-built Ajeya, India’s first 6-qubit superconducting processor, designed at TIFR.
India’s first full-stack quantum control system was developed by DRDO and TCS.
DRDO–IIT Delhi and ISRO–RRI demonstrated 100 km fibre and free-space QKD links.
DRDO is developing quantum metrology for navigation and sensing.
Nav Wireless is building Free Space Optical Communication for secure quantum communication.

India’s Advantage

Talent Strength: India ranks 2^nd globally with ~91,000 quantum-ready graduates.
Math Advantage: India has strengths in tensor algebra, Monte Carlo methods, and QFT.
Cost Efficiency: Mission-mode execution enables low-cost scaling of quantum infrastructure.
Indigenous Focus: NQM promotes indigenous fabrication, photonics, and cryogenic systems.

Challenges for India

Scaling Challenges: Tightening export restrictions and limited access to skilled engineers are major barriers to scaling quantum capabilities (NITI Aayog).
Funding Deficit: Only 2.63% of Indian research is backed by industry while 17% of research projects remain unfunded.

Human Capital Gap: The Quad Investors Network flags a shortage of quantum engineers as a key limitation. Many young researchers migrate abroad due to better labs and funding.
Supply Chain Dependency: No indigenous quantum chip fabrication units. Dependence on imports for cryogenic systems, lasers, and rare materials like indium.
Limited Global Integration: Collaborative efforts are narrow, with only a few partnerships (e.g., Infosys–Quintessence Labs) addressing quantum cybersecurity.
Insignificant Private Sector Investment: Currently stands at only $30 million, far behind USA ($6,940 million) and Australia ($661 million).

Government Initiatives

Budget Allocation: NQM allocates ~₹6,000 crore for quantum computing, communication, sensing etc.
T-Hubs: Thematic Hubs under NQM are established at IISc, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, and IIT Delhi.
Application Lab: MeitY’s QCAL lab supports public-sector quantum applications.
Startup Funding: A $1.2 billion fund under RDI scheme backs quantum and deep-tech startups.
Talent Pipeline: QIndia and DST support quantum education from school to undergraduate levels.

Strategic Recommendations

Deepen Global Partnerships: Collaborate with allies like the US, EU, South Korea, and Australia through initiatives such as the India-US TRUST and Quantum Entanglement Exchange to access advanced labs and technology.
Leverage National Quantum Mission (NQM): NQM should be the foundation for building indigenous capabilities in quantum computing, communication, sensing, and materials research.
Shape Global Standards: Actively participate in quantum standard-setting forums to ensure India’s technologies remain interoperable and globally accepted. Set up a Quantum Standards Authority to certify quantum systems.
Support Startup Collaboration: Promote cross-border quantum startups via platforms like T-Hub, Seoul Startup Hub, and INDUS-X to enable joint innovation and funding.
Identify Gaps: Map quantum R&D gaps in investment, talent, and supply chains to guide focused capacity-building and global cooperation. Launch talent visa and lab autonomy schemes to attract Indian-origin scientists.

{Prelims – In News} Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC)

Context (TH): A deadly industrial accident occurred at an Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) manufacturing unit in Hyderabad, exposing lapses in chemical safety and dust hazard protocols.

MCC is a purified, plant-derived polymer known for its inertness and stability. It is most commonly derived from refined wood pulp.
It consists of partially depolymerized cellulose. It is fibre-rich, non-toxic, and not absorbed by the body. It has no taste, odour, or colour and is chemically stable.
It exhibits smooth powder flow during industrial processing. Under pressure, MCC deforms plastically & facilitates inter-particle bonding.

Applications

Food industry: Used as a bulking agent, emulsifier, extender, and anti-caking agent.
Cosmetics: Improves texture and suspension in powders and creams.
Printing: Serves as a biodegradable binder in additive manufacturing.
Industry: Used in bio-composites, filters, and paints.
Pharma: Acts as binder, filler, and disintegrant in tablets and ensures dose uniformity.

{Prelims – PIN World – Africa} Ghana

Context (HT): Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded Ghana’s highest civilian honour, the Order of the Star of Ghana. He is the first Indian to receive the honour in recognition of his global leadership and efforts to deepen India–Ghana relations.

About Ghana

Geographic Position: Ghana is located in West Africa.
Water bodies: Atlantic Ocean to the south, Gulf of Guinea.
Bordering Nations: It shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo.
Capital: Accra.
Ghana is Africa’s top gold producer and a major global gold exporter.
It ranks as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer after Côte d’Ivoire.

{Prelims – Sci – Bio} MRgFUS

Context (TH): MRgFUS (Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound) is a non-invasive procedure that uses focused ultrasound beams to treat tremors.

It is currently approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for Essential Tremor (ET) and Tremor-Dominant Parkinson’s Disease (TD-PD).
Under MRgFUS, the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus is precisely targeted.
Focused ultrasound creates a small lesion that disrupts tremor-causing signals. Ablation alters abnormal cerebello-thalamic pathways, reducing tremor severity.

VIM: Part of the thalamus that transmits motor signals and controls tremor activity.
Thalamus: Central brain structure that relays and processes motor and sensory signals to the cortex.

Advantages

No Hardware Risks: Avoids complications linked to implanted devices used in DBS.
Dynamic Adjustments: Treatment parameters can be adjusted in real-time during the procedure.
Minimally Invasive: Requires no incision or general anaesthesia.
One-Time Procedure: No need for follow-up surgeries or maintenance.

About Essential Tremors (ET)

ET is the most frequent adult movement disorder, especially in the elderly.
Functional Impact: Causes rhythmic shaking that worsens gradually over time.
Causes: Caused by disrupted communication in cerebellar motor circuits. It is often inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
Treatment: There is no cure, but symptoms can be managed.

Autosomal Dominant Pattern: A single faulty gene from one parent can cause inherited disorders, such as essential tremor.

{Species – Discovery – Plants} Begonia nyishiorum

Context (NIE): A new flowering plant species, Begonia nyishiorum, was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Kameng district and named in honour of the Nyishi tribe.

Begonia nyishiorum is a flowering plant, endemic to the East Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh. The light green petioles have dense crimson fringes and hair-like indumentum.
Grows on moist, shaded slopes at 1,500–3,000 m in high-altitude ecosystems with early winter snowfall.
It is classified as Data Deficient (IUCN) due to limited ecological and population data.