Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 21st April 2025

Exercise Desert Flag 10:

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has joined the prestigious Exercise Desert Flag-10, a multinational air combat exercise being hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Al Dhafra Air Base.

• Exercise Desert Flag is a premier multinational air exercise designed to simulate complex aerial combat scenarios, allowing diverse air forces to train together under realistic operational conditions.
• IAF Aircraft Participation: The Indian Air Force is deploying two frontline aircraft types in the exercise:
  • MiG-29 – a versatile air superiority fighter, and
  • Jaguar – a ground attack aircraft known for deep strike capabilities.
• Along with the Indian Air Force, the exercise involves air forces from Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the host nation UAE.
• The primary aim of Exercise Desert Flag is to conduct complex and diverse fighter engagements. It focuses on: Operational exchange of knowledge, Sharing best practices, and Enhancing air combat tactics among some of the most advanced air forces in the world.

CROP (Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress):

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has estimated that India’s wheat production from eight major wheat-producing states will reach 122.724 million tonnes as of March 31, 2025, by using advanced satellite-based remote sensing technologies.

• CROP stands for Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress.
• It is a semi-automated and scalable framework developed by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a part of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• The primary objective of CROP is to enable near real-time monitoring of crop sowing, growth, and harvesting across different seasons, especially during the rabi season in India.
• CROP integrates data from multi-source remote sensing satellites, including:
  • EOS-04 (RISAT-1A) – provides Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data,
  • EOS-06 (Oceansat-3) – provides optical remote sensing data, and
  • Resourcesat-2A – used for high-resolution optical imaging of agricultural areas.
  • It uses both Optical and SAR datasets to accurately monitor crop progress under varying weather and light conditions.

Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Weapons:

India is recognised as a key player in creating global norms for responsible space behavior, said Marjolijn van Deelen, EU Special Envoy for Space.

• ASAT weapons are specialized technologies designed to disable, destroy, or interfere with satellites in orbit for strategic or defensive purposes.
• ASATs are a key component of space warfare capabilities and are used to neutralize enemy satellites that are used for surveillance, communication, navigation, or early warning systems.
• ASAT weapons are broadly classified into two categories:
  • Kinetic Energy ASATs: These involve direct physical impact, usually through missiles that collide with satellites to destroy them. The impact generates orbital debris, which can pose a long-term hazard to other space assets.
  • Non-Kinetic ASATs: These use non-physical means such as cyber-attacks, jamming, spoofing, and directed energy weapons like lasers to disrupt or blind a satellite without physically destroying it.
• ASAT weapons can be launched from ground stations, aircraft, or even other satellites, making them versatile and difficult to detect in some cases.
• As of now, four countries — United States, Russia, China, and India — have demonstrated operational ASAT capabilities through tests.
• India’s ASAT Test (Mission Shakti) was conducted in March 2019, where a live satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was destroyed by a three-stage interceptor missile at an altitude of around 300 km in a “hit-to-kill” mode.
• The global community, particularly the European Union (EU), has expressed concern about the space debris created by destructive ASAT tests and has called for a ban on such practices under the United Nations framework.

Hepatitis A : Surge

Despite multiple efforts to contain the spread of communicable diseases, Kerala continues to report a surge in Hepatitis A cases.

• Hepatitis A is a very contagious liver disease.
• It’s a viral infection that happens after exposure to the hepatitis A virus (HAV).
• The infection causes inflammation in liver.
• A person can get hepatitis A from: drinking unclean water, eating food that’s been washed or grown in unclean water, eating food that’s been handled by an infected person, close physical contact with an infected person, including having sex and sharing needles to take drugs
• No specific treatment exists for hepatitis A.
• Your body will clear the hepatitis A virus on its own.
• In most cases of hepatitis A, the liver heals within six months with no lasting damage.
• A safe and effective vaccine is available to prevent hepatitis A.

Sapsan Missile:

The Russian Ministry of Defence for the first time acknowledged the growing threat posed by Ukraine’s newly developed short-range ballistic missile, the Sapsan.

• The Sapsan (or Hrim-2, Grom-2) is a Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile system.
• It is designed to combine the features of a tactical missile system and a multiple rocket launcher.
• In its export version, the Hrim-2 missile system is designed to target individual and group stationary targets within distances ranging from 50 to 280 km.
• However, for the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces, the system’s range has now been extended to 700 km.
• The Sapsan system comprises a 10-wheeled Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) capable of carrying two containerized missiles simultaneously.
• Its aero-ballistic capabilities allow evasion of modern air defenses like the S-300 and S-400, drawing parallels to the Russian 9K720 Iskander missile complex.
• The Hrim-2’s versatility is a key aspect, as it can launch both ballistic and cruise missiles, making it suitable for various applications, from air defense to coast guard duties.
• Its single-stage ballistic missile carries a warhead with a mass of 480 kilograms, and it offers options for both unitary and cluster configurations.
• The system’s onboard control system is inertial and integrates various navigation and guidance systems, including radar-based and optoelectronic components.

Earth Day 2025:

Earth Day takes place every year on 22 April and is one of the biggest environmental protest movements on the planet.

• Earth Day is observed annually on April 22.
• The official theme for Earth Day 2025 is “OUR POWER, OUR PLANET”.
• This year’s message focuses on the need to shift rapidly to renewable energy, urging individuals, businesses, and governments to triple clean energy production by 2030.
• The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, initiated by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as a national teach-in on environmental issues.
• The event witnessed more than 20 million Americans—10% of the U.S. population—taking to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demand a healthy, sustainable environment.
• Earth Day went global in 1990, mobilizing over 200 million people across 141 countries.
• Since then, it has become one of the largest civic observances in the world, promoting climate action and eco-conscious living.
• Earth Day serves as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to protect the environment.

Amaravati: World’s First Fully Renewable-Powered City in the Making

Amaravati, the planned capital of Andhra Pradesh, is on track to become the world’s first city powered entirely by renewable energy. Envisioned by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, this ambitious project aligns with India’s commitment to clean energy and climate-conscious urbanization. Located between Vijayawada and Guntur, Amaravati is being designed as a modern, eco-friendly “people’s capital”, setting a global benchmark in sustainable city planning.

Yellow Sea:

After aggressive posturing in the South China Sea, China is upping the ante in the Yellow Sea, following the building of a gigantic steel rig.

• Yellow Sea also referred to in China as Huang Hai and in North and South Korea as the West Sea, Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.
• It is positioned to the north of the East China Sea.
• It is bordered by mainland China in the north and west and by North Korea and South Korea in the east.
• The sea was named for the yellowish sand particles originating from the Gobi Desert that descend on the surface of the sea, thereby giving it a golden yellow color.
• It covers an area of approximately 400,000 sq.km.
• It measures about 960 km from north to south and some 700 km from its east to west.

Bihar’s Mahila Samvad Campaign: Empowering Women Through Dialogue and Awareness

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched the “Mahila Samvad” campaign, a state-wide initiative aimed at connecting women with welfare schemes and amplifying their voices in policy discussions. This transformative campaign particularly targets rural women and intends to create a two-way communication channel between women citizens and government officials.

Ajay Bhushan Prasad Pandey Appointed Vice-President at AIIB:

Ajay Bhushan Prasad Pandey, former Finance Secretary of India and ex-chief of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), has been appointed Vice-President at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). His appointment underscores India’s growing influence in global financial institutions and reflects Pandey’s vast experience in governance, finance, and infrastructure policy.

Launch of ‘Sanskriti Ka Paanchva Adhyay’:

A new book titled ‘Sanskriti Ka Paanchva Adhyay’ was officially launched on April 18, 2025, at the Samvet Auditorium of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, New Delhi. This book is a curated compilation of speeches and thoughts by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, focused on India’s cultural, spiritual, and traditional heritage.

Ananya Panday Becomes French Chanel’s First-Ever Indian Brand Ambassador:

Bollywood actress Ananya Panday has been officially announced as the first-ever Indian brand ambassador for the iconic French luxury house, Chanel. The announcement was made on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, positioning Ananya at the forefront of global haute couture and marking a significant step in Chanel’s expansion into the Indian fashion landscape.this collaboration comes exactly a year after Ananya Panday attended the Chanel Spring/Summer 2025 show at Paris Fashion Week, a moment that seems to have sparked a deeper connection between the actress and the maison.

Zepto Renames Parent Entity Ahead of IPO: Aligning Brand and Business Strategy

Zepto, one of India’s fastest-growing quick-commerce startups, has taken a significant step toward its Initial Public Offer (IPO) by officially changing the name of its parent company. The company has rebranded from Kiranakart Technologies Private Limited to Zepto Private Limited, aligning its corporate identity with its consumer-facing brand.This change was recently approved by the Registrar of Companies (RoC) in Mumbai, signaling a deeper alignment of brand recognition and stakeholder strategy ahead of a potential stock market debut.