Browse Current Affairs and Notes for August 2, 2025

General Studies Paper I in the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination is designed to test the candidate’s understanding of historical processes, socio-cultural development, societal dynamics, and the geography of India and the world. This paper demands both factual clarity and analytical ability.

Complete UPSC Syllabus for General Studies Paper I

As prescribed by UPSC:

General Studies Paper I:

• Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature & Architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present– significant events, personalities, issues.
• The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.
• Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
• History of the world will include events from the 18th century such as the Industrial Revolution, world wars, redrawing of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc.– their forms and effect on the society.
• Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
• Role of women and women’s organizations, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and remedies.
• Effects of globalization on Indian society.
• Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
• Salient features of world’s physical geography.
• Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
• Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Section-wise Breakdown and Explanation

1. Indian Culture: Art Forms, Literature, and Architecture

This segment covers India’s rich civilizational legacy in terms of:

• Classical art forms: Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Hindustani and Carnatic music traditions
• Folk arts and crafts: Warli painting, Madhubani, Pattachitra, tribal dances
• Literature: Contributions from Vedic, Pali-Prakrit, Tamil Sangam, Persian, and Bhakti-Sufi traditions
• Architecture: Evolution from Harappan to Indo-Islamic styles, temple architecture (Nagara, Dravida, Vesara), colonial and post-independence structures

A good understanding of regional diversity and historical continuity is essential.

2. Modern Indian History (Mid-18th Century Onwards)

Focus here is on:

• British expansion: Battles of Plassey, Buxar, subsidiary alliance, doctrine of lapse
• Economic policies: Deindustrialization, drain of wealth, zamindari and ryotwari systems
• Socio-religious reform movements: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
• Formation of Congress and political awakening: 1885 onwards, extremism vs. moderates, partition of Bengal, Home Rule movement

Critical analysis of colonial impact and Indian response is expected.

3. Freedom Struggle and Its Phases

This segment looks into:

• Gandhian movements: Champaran, Kheda, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India
• Revolutionary nationalism: Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, HSRA
• Role of press and education: Vernacular press, National education movement
• Subhas Chandra Bose and INA: Azad Hind Fauj, Provisional Government of Free India
• Regional struggles: Telangana, Tebhaga, Alluri Sitarama Raju’s tribal revolts

Answer writing should reflect a multi-dimensional understanding of events, actors, and outcomes.

4. Post-Independence India: Consolidation and Reorganization

Topics include:

• Integration of princely states: Role of Sardar Patel and VP Menon
• Linguistic reorganization: Dhar Commission, Fazl Ali Commission
• Nehruvian consensus: Planning, scientific temper, foreign policy
• Movements and conflicts: Naxalite movement, Green Revolution’s socio-political impact
• Emergency (1975–77) and subsequent political realignments

This section requires you to synthesize political, administrative, and social aspects post-1947.

5. World History: 18th to 20th Century

Key themes include:

• French Revolution and its ideological aftermath
• Industrial Revolution: Technological changes, factory system, labor conditions
• Unification of Germany and Italy
• World Wars I and II: Causes, consequences, major battles, treaties
• Cold War dynamics: Cuban missile crisis, Korean and Vietnam wars, USSR’s collapse
• Decolonization: Africa, Asia, Gandhi’s influence on global non-violence
• Rise of ideologies: Fascism, Nazism, Communism, Liberalism, and their global footprints

Use timelines, comparative analysis, and cause-effect frameworks in your answers.

6. Indian Society and Its Salient Features

Study of social fabric includes:

• Caste system: Hierarchy, reservation, caste in politics
• Family system: Joint vs. nuclear families, urban influences
• Religion and sects: Religious pluralism, interfaith issues
• Tribes and ethnic groups: Rights, displacement, integration policies

Sociological sensitivity and a balanced tone are important in writing answers here.

7. Issues Related to Women, Population, Poverty, and Urbanization

This broad segment includes:

• Women’s status: Representation, discrimination, female labor force participation
• Women’s organizations: SEWA, NFIW, NCW
• Population: Demographic trends, fertility, aging population, migration
• Poverty and unemployment: Multidimensional Poverty Index, disguised unemployment
• Urban challenges: Slums, congestion, solid waste, transport, planning policies

You may link these themes with schemes, commissions, and real-world data.

8. Globalization and Indian Society

Important areas include:

• Cultural impact: Westernization, consumerism, media influence
• Economic impact: Outsourcing, labor markets, inequality
• Technology: Rise of digital literacy, education and health access
• Migration and Diaspora: Remittances, cultural identity issues

Questions in this section often merge with ethics, polity, or governance.

9. Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism, and Secularism

• Empowerment: Laws, schemes for SC/ST/OBC, women, disabled, LGBTQ+
• Communalism: Historical causes, major events, legislative safeguards
• Regionalism: Identity politics, regional disparities, demand for statehood
• Secularism: Indian vs. Western model, constitutional provisions, recent debates

A nuanced understanding with current examples is key.

10. World’s Physical Geography

Topics to be covered:

• Landforms and processes: Plate tectonics, erosion, volcanoes
• Climate and weather: Winds, monsoons, El Niño, cloud types
• Hydrology: Ocean currents, tides, marine ecosystems
• Soil and vegetation types: Soil profiles, biome classification

Use diagrams and real-life applications (like natural disasters) for better presentation.

11. Natural Resources and Industrial Location

Focus areas:

• Resource distribution: Coal, iron, bauxite, water, forest cover
• Sectoral industries: Agriculture belts, IT hubs, heavy industries, textile clusters
• Location factors: Raw materials, labor, transportation, government policy
• Map-based understanding: India and world resource locations

This section often connects with economic planning and environmental concerns.

12. Geophysical Phenomena and Environmental Change

Key elements:

• Disaster types: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, cyclones
• Causes and effects: Plate movements, ocean heating, climate feedback loops
• Human-induced changes: Urbanization, deforestation, pollution, climate change
• Impact on biodiversity: Extinction threats, conservation hotspots, protected areas

Answers should reflect a scientific yet practical understanding of environmental risks.

Final Note

GS Paper I is a broad-spectrum paper where historical awareness must merge with sociological sensitivity and geographic precision. To excel in this paper, aspirants must focus on:

• Conceptual clarity over memorization
• Interlinking themes across disciplines
• Integrating maps, data, and diagrams where appropriate
• Keeping answers well-structured and substantiated with examples

UPSC does not seek encyclopedic knowledge—it values clarity, perspective, and insight.

The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination is not just the first stage of the CSE journey—it’s a litmus test of clarity, precision, and conceptual understanding. Every year, lakhs of aspirants appear, but only a few thousand clear it. Why? Because cracking Prelims is not just about hard work—it’s about decoding the pattern, aligning with the syllabus, and preparing smartly.

At Anantam IAS, we specialize in helping students do exactly that.

📘 What Is the UPSC Prelims?

The Prelims is a screening test that filters candidates for the Mains examination. It consists of two papers:

• General Studies Paper I (GS)
• Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) – Paper II (qualifying in nature)

Both papers are objective (MCQ-based), conducted on the same day, with negative marking.

🧠 UPSC Prelims Syllabus Breakdown

1. General Studies Paper I

Let’s decode each component:

Subject Area	What It Includes
Current Affairs	National & international events, schemes, policies, summits
History	Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Indian History + Freedom Struggle
Geography	Indian and World Geography including physical, economic, and environmental aspects
Polity	Constitution, governance, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy
Economy	Basic economic concepts, government budgeting, inflation, banking, and financial sector reforms
Environment & Ecology	Climate change, biodiversity, environmental agreements, pollution, etc.
Science & Technology	General science, latest developments in space, biotech, robotics, AI, etc.

2. CSAT (Paper II)

CSAT is qualifying in nature (33% required), but not to be taken lightly.

Area	Skills Tested
Comprehension	Reading, understanding, and interpreting texts
Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability	Puzzles, logic games, sequences
Decision Making	Simple real-life scenarios with ethical dilemmas
Mathematics	Basic numeracy, data interpretation (Class X level)

🎯 How to Prepare Smartly

At Anantam IAS, our approach is rooted in UPSC trends, backed by expert guidance, and focused on your personal growth. Here’s how we break it down:

✅ 1. Understand the Syllabus Deeply

Every line in the syllabus is a potential question. Our mentors emphasize micro-topic decoding, helping you know exactly what UPSC expects.

✅ 2. Integrated Current Affairs Approach

Current affairs aren’t separate—they are interlinked with static topics. For example, if there’s a flood, we teach it with Geography (climate, rivers), Environment (ecosystem impact), and Governance (NDMA role).

✅ 3. PYQs as Compass

Previous Year Questions are not just practice—they reveal the trend, depth, and focus areas. Our classroom discussions are packed with PYQ alignment and probable question predictions.

✅ 4. Theme-Based Tests and Mentorship

After every major topic, we conduct thematic tests and immediately review your performance. This feedback loop, guided by our mentors, ensures continuous improvement.

✅ 5. CSAT Mastery

Most aspirants neglect CSAT. But at Anantam, our CSAT Foundation module ensures that your basics in quantitative aptitude, comprehension, and reasoning are rock solid.

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🧪 What Makes Anantam IAS Different?

• Prelims-Focused Classes with PYQ-driven teaching
• 40+ GS + 4 CSAT Tests with model solutions
• One-to-One Mentorship to track your performance
• Daily MCQs and Newspaper Analysis integrated in class
• Complete Syllabus Coverage well before Prelims
• Visual Learning especially for Geography and Science
• Integrated Notes for revision + Digital PDFs

Why in news:

The Indian Navy received the advanced guided-missile frigate Himgiri built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

UPSC CSE Relevance:

UPSC CSE in prelims examination has focused on awareness in the fields of IT, space mission, computers, robotics, nano-technology.

Himgiri (Yard 3022):

• 3rd ship of Nilgiri Class (Project 17A)
• a reincarnation of the erstwhile INS Himgiri, a Leander-class frigate, that was decommissioned on 06 May 2005.
• The state-of-the-art frigate reflects a quantum leap in naval design, stealth, firepower, automation and survivability.
• Indigenously developed – an admirable symbol of Aatmanirbharta in warship building.
• Driven by the philosophy of ‘Integrated Construction’, the ship is modular and ergonomic.
• The ship is 149 meters long and has a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, making it one of the largest and most sophisticated frigates built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
• The weapon suite comprises:
  • BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for anti-ship and land-attack roles.
  • Barak 8 medium range surface-to-air missiles for aerial defense.
  • 76 mm Gun
  • a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm rapid-fire Close-in Weapon Systems.
• Fitted with advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
• Accommodation for 225 personnel and provides full aviation facilities for the operation of helicopters.

Project 17A:

• This project is a follow-on to the earlier Project 17 (Shivalik-class) frigates, with significant improvements in stealth, firepower, and technology. The project is a key component of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-reliant India) initiative, with a high degree of indigenous content.
• Project 17A frigates are versatile multi-mission platforms, designed to address current and future challenges in the maritime domain.
• Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (Kolkata), P17A frigates reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability, and combat capability.
• P17A ships are fitted with an advanced weapon and sensor suite compared to the P17 (Shivalik) class.
• These ships are configured with Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants, comprising a diesel engine and gas turbine, that drives a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) on each shaft, and a state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
• Indigenous content of 75%
• The project involves the construction of seven frigates, with four being built by MDL and three by GRSE. The ships are named after mountain ranges in India, reviving the names of the retired Leander-class frigates.
• The first three frigates to be delivered are:
  • INS Nilgiri: The lead ship of the class, built by MDL. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy.
  • INS Udaygiri: The second ship, also built by MDL, was delivered to the Indian Navy in July 2025.
  • INS Himgiri: The third ship of the class and the first to be built by GRSE, was delivered to the Indian Navy in July 2025.
• The remaining four ships under the project are:
  • INS Taragiri: Being built by MDL.
  • INS Dunagiri: Being built by GRSE.
  • INS Vindhyagiri: Being built by GRSE.
  • INS Mahendragiri: The seventh and final ship of the class, being built by MDL.

Project 17- Shivalik class:

• INS Shivalik (F47): The lead ship of the class, commissioned in 2010.
• INS Satpura (F48): Commissioned in 2011.
• INS Sahyadri (F49): Commissioned in 2012.

Differences between a frigate and a destroyer warship:

Feature	Frigate	Destroyer
Role	Primarily focused on escorting other vessels and performing anti-submarine warfare (ASW). They also handle patrol duties and provide air defense for a limited area.	Designed to escort larger vessels and engage in direct combat with enemy ships. They are often part of a carrier battle group and are more offensively oriented.
Size & Displacement	Generally smaller and lighter. A modern frigate typically displaces between 1,500 and 6,000 tons.	Larger and heavier than frigates, with displacements ranging from around 3,500 to over 10,000 tons.
Speed	Often designed for speed and maneuverability to fulfill their escort and patrol duties.	While still fast, their larger size can sometimes make them slightly less agile than frigates.
Armament	Equipped with a variety of weapons, including surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedoes, and guns.	Generally more heavily armed than frigates, with a greater number of vertical launch system (VLS) cells for missiles, making them capable of broader air and missile defense.

Why in news:

HOPE Station in Ladakh begins research to simulate life on Moon, Mars.

UPSC CSE Relevance:

UPSC CSE in prelims examination has focused on awareness in the fields of IT, space mission, computers, robotics, nano-technology.

UPSC Prelims PYQ 2020:

Q: “The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft.” The experiment in question refers to
A) Voyager-2
B) New Horizons
C) LISA Pathfinder
D) Evolved LISA

UPSC Mains PYQ 2022:

Q: Launched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits it hold for the human race?

Project launched by:

• Protoplanet, a Bengaluru-based company involved in space science popularisation.
• ISRO funded a portion of the station’s development as well as advised on the criteria for selecting candidates.

Why Ladakh?

• Ladakh’s unique characteristics, including its high altitude, arid climate, and terrain, closely resemble the conditions found on Mars and the Moon.
• This makes it an ideal location for testing various aspects of space exploration, including habitat design, resource management, and astronaut training.

Objective:

• To prepare for possible manned space missions to the Moon and potentially Mars.
  • PM Narendra Modi has stated that he expects India will have its own Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and a manned Moon mission by 2040.
  • The United States’ National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) has indicated the possibility of a manned mission to Mars “in the 2030s”
• It will be instrumental in developing robust protocols and technologies for sustained human presence beyond Earth.

Location – Tso Kar, Ladakh:

Research:

• Selected ‘crew’, beginning August 1, will take turns inhabiting the station as part of a 10-day ‘isolation mission.’
• The crew will undergo extensive physiological, epigenetics and psychological studies to assess human adaptability and resilience in conditions simulating deep space environments.

Other similar stations:

• Mars Desert Station (United States)
• Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station in Canada
• BIOS-3 in Russia

Note:

• HOPE is different from the analogous space mission launched by ISRO in Leh in November 2024.
• India’s first analog space mission kicked off in Leh last year with the collaborative effort by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
• This analogous mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth.