CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 July, 2025
1. GOVERNMENT TO INITIATE REMOVAL MOTION AGAINST JUSTICE YASHWANT VARMA –
• The government will soon initiate the process to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, following the discovery of burnt currency at his residence and subsequent inquiry findings.
Key Highlights of the Case and Court Rulings
• Supreme Court’s In-House Inquiry: A Supreme Court-appointed committee, led by then CJI Justice Sanjiv Khanna, found sufficient grounds to recommend the judge’s removal after examining witness statements, including Justice Varma’s.
• No Formal Indictment: The fact-finding committee clarified that its report did not indict Justice Varma but recommended that constitutional procedures for his removal be pursued.
• Government’s Planned Action: The Government is set to pass the motion in the Parliament though the House for introduction of the motion (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha) is yet to be finalised.
Constitutional Provision for Impeachment of Judges
• While the constitution does not use the word ‘impeachment’, it is colloquially used to refer to the proceedings under Article 124 for the removal of a Supreme Court judge.
• The removal of High Court judges is governed by Article 217(1)(b) and Article 218 of the Constitution of India.
• These articles provide that a judge of a High Court may be removed only by an order of the President of India, based on a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament
2. SUB LT AASTHA POONIA BECOMES FIRST WOMAN NAVY FIGHTER PILOT TRAINEE –
• The Indian Navy said that Sub Lt Aastha Poonia has been chosen to be trained as a fighter pilot. She will undergo one year of training, after which she may get to fly powerful aircraft like the MiG-29K or the Rafale M from the Navy’s aircraft carriers. The announcement came during the winging ceremony of the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course at INS Dega, where pilots are trained on the Hawk Mk 132 jets before flying actual warplanes.
Winging Ceremony and Achievements
• On July 3, 2025, both Lieutenant Atul Kumar Dhull and Sub Lieutenant Aastha Poonia were awarded the “Wings of Gold” by Rear Admiral Janak Bevli, who is the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air). The Navy proudly shared that Aastha Poonia is the first woman to enter the fighter stream—a big step forward for Nari Shakti (women power) in the forces.
3. ANANTH TECH TO START INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE SATELLITE INTERNET –
• Ananth Technologies has made history by becoming the first private Indian company to get approval for providing satellite-based internet using a satellite made in India.
• This service will be launched by 2028, and it will deliver broadband internet directly from space to users across the country, including in rural and remote areas where internet is often weak or missing.
• The service will use a satellite in geostationary orbit, which is placed more than 35,000 km above Earth. This orbit allows the satellite to stay fixed over one point, helping provide steady internet service.
4. GUKESH WINS RAPID CHESS TITLE IN ZAGREB –
• D Gukesh, the current World Chess Champion, showed excellent form during the three-day rapid section of the tournament. He played especially well on the second day, winning five games in a row. On the final day, he had two draws—against Anish Giri (Netherlands) and Ivan Saric (Croatia)—before ending with a win over Wesley So from the USA. This final win helped him finish at the top of the standings with 14 points.
Other Key Players and Final Standings
• Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who had beaten Gukesh in the first round, came second with 11 points. Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked player from Norway, finished third with 10 points. He started strong with a win against Fabiano Caruana, but a draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov prevented a stronger finish.
• India’s R Praggnanandhaa also performed well. He defeated Ivan Saric in round 7 and drew with both Wesley So and Duda in the final two rounds. He finished with 9 points, the same as Caruana. Other notable players like Firouzja, Giri, and So scored 8 points each.
5. INDIA AND TRINIDAD & TOBAGO SIGN SIX NEW AGREEMENTS TO BOOST TIES –
• This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Trinidad & Tobago since 1999. PM Narendra Modi met with Trinidad & Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and held important talks to improve cooperation. The two leaders discussed future work in agriculture, education, digital payments, and healthcare. They also shared views on major global issues like climate change, cyber security, and disaster response.
• Both leaders showed great warmth and respect during the visit. PM Bissessar said that Mr. Modi’s visit was a “landmark moment” that will give new energy to the friendship between the two countries.
Six Agreements Signed
• The two nations signed six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). These deals cover cooperation in,
• Pharmaceutical standards
• Quick development projects
• Cultural exchange
• Sports promotion
• Diplomatic training
• Sharing of official documents and research
MCQ QUIZ
Q1. Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter was developed by which country ?
a) Russia
b) China
c) India
d) United States
Q2. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), that was recently seen in news, is built on which river ?
a) Blue Nile River
b) Yangtze River
c) Congo River
d) Mekong River
Q3. Which institution has launched the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) ?
a) Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
b) National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
c) Department of Telecommunications’ Digital Intelligence Unit (DoT–DIU)
d) Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Dalai Lama’s declaration regarding his succession:
Statement-I: The 14th Dalai Lama has declared that the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the sole authority to recognize his reincarnation.
Statement-II: This declaration is intended to safeguard the Tibetan Buddhist succession process from external political interference.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?
a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Explanation-
• Statement-I is correct. The 14th Dalai Lama has reaffirmed that the Gaden Phodrang Trust would be the sole authority responsible for identifying and recognizing his future reincarnation.
• Statement-II is correct. The primary motivation behind empowering the Trust with this exclusive authority is to ensure the integrity and autonomy of a deeply religious process. It is a direct response to concerns about external influence, particularly from political entities like the Chinese government, which has expressed intentions to control the selection of the next Dalai Lama. The move reinforces religious sovereignty.
• Statement-II provides the direct and most important reason for the action described in Statement-I.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Project 17A frigates:
1. They are a follow-on class to the Talwar-class frigates.
2. These frigates are being constructed exclusively by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL).
3. They feature advanced stealth characteristics and a high percentage of indigenous content.
How many of the above statements is/are correct ?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Explanation-
• Statement 1 is incorrect. Project 17A frigates are a follow-on class to the Shivalik-class (Project 17) frigates, not the Talwar-class. The Shivalik-class was the first class of stealth frigates built in India.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The construction of the seven frigates under Project 17A is divided between two shipyards: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
• Statement 3 is correct. The defining features of Project 17A ships are their enhanced stealth design to reduce radar cross-section and their high level of indigenization. Around 75% of the orders for equipment and systems are from indigenous firms, aligning with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
Answer Key
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
D | A | C | A | A |