Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for August 10, 2025. If you missed the August 9, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Security challenges and their management in border areas– linkages of organized crime with terrorism., Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.What’s the ongoing story: Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Saturday said the Indian Air Force (IAF) took down “at least” five Pakistani fighter jets and “one large aircraft” during Operation Sindoor in May.Key Points to Ponder:• Read about Operation Sindoor.• What is the strategic significance of Operation Sindoor 2025 in the context of India’s counter-terrorism policy and regional security dynamics?• What is the S-400 surface-to-air missile system?• What is the significance of the S-400 Triumf system for India? • Learn about the Akash missile and MRSAM (Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile).• What is a precision weapon?• How India used precision weapons under Operation Sindoor?Story continues below this ad• What is the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)?• What are the defence challenges faced by India on its borders?Key Takeaways:• In the three months since the operation, while India has talked about the losses suffered by Pakistan, this is the first time that a senior officer has specified the number of Pakistani aircraft and jets downed.• “We have at least five fighters confirmed killed and one large aircraft, which could be an ELINT aircraft or an AEW&C aircraft, which was taken out from a distance of about 300 kilometres, which is the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about,” the IAF Chief said during a keynote address at the 16th Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru.Story continues below this ad• Praising Indian air defence systems, he said the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, which was recently bought, “has been a gamechanger”. The kill range of the S400 system kept their aircraft away from the maximum distance at which they could employ their long range air-to-ground weapons, like those long-range glide bombs that they have, he said, adding that Pakistan was not able to use these as they were not been able to penetrate the system.• The IAF Chief said no Pakistani aircraft could come anywhere near India’s defence systems like the Akash missile and MRSAM (medium range surface to air missile). He said all Pakistani aircraft were taken on by India’s LRSAM (long range surface to air missile), adding that while they were trying to stay away, they were within Indian range at times. From Govt & Politics Page “Operation Sindoor’s 300-km kill: How the IAF may have set a rare record”• During a lecture in Bengaluru, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh revealed that among the targets destroyed on May 7 was a large Pakistani airborne platform — possibly an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) or AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft — taken down from a distance of about 300 km. He described it as the “largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about”.Story continues below this ad• Long-range kills of this kind are rare. Hitting a target 300 km away demands a long-range interceptor missile (a surface-to-air missile or SAM designed to destroy airborne targets at very long distances, often well beyond visual range), precision tracking that holds steady over long distances and the ability to maintain a firing solution until impact. The IAF acquired this capability only recently, with the induction of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf system.• India has so far received three of its five contracted S-400 units from Russia, deployed along the borders with Pakistan and China. The remaining two are due by 2025–26.• Other systems — including the Barak 8 Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) and the indigenous Akash missile — also played a role in Operation Sindoor. Earlier this month, the Defence Acquisition Council approved a comprehensive annual maintenance contract for the S-400.• India had signed the S-400 deal with Russia, a year after the United States passed the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). CAATSA is a US law that allows Washington to impose sanctions on countries that make significant defence purchases from Russia, Iran, or North Korea.Do You Know:Story continues below this ad• India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, hitting nine terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India’s retaliatory attack is ostensibly considered a reference to only men being singled out based on their faith before being killed in Pahalgam. This marked the most expansive and widespread retaliation by India in recent years, since the Balakot airstrikes in 2019 and the surgical strikes following the Uri attack in 2016. The attacks were made at nine locations, which were terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.ALSO READ | Knowledge Nugget: Why is the IMF’s World Economic Outlook relevant for UPSC Exam?• S400 Triumf: The S-400 is considered one of the most advanced and potent air defence systems in the world. It was developed by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau. It can protect against almost all sorts of aerial attacks, including drones, missiles, rockets, and even fighter jets. The system, intended to act as a shield over a particular area, is a long-range surface-to-air missile system.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Knowledge Nugget | What should you know about the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 for the UPSC ExamUPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:(1) Consider the following:1. Kamov helicopters2. C-17 Globemaster3. Su-30MKI fighters4. MH-60R Seahawks5. T-90 tanksWhich of the defence equipment given above is part of the India-Russia agreement?(a) 1, 3 and 5 only(b) 1, 2 and 4 only(c) 2, 3, 4 and 5(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:Story continues below this adThe terms ‘Hot Pursuit’ and ‘Surgical Strikes’ are often used in connection with armed action against terrorist attacks. Discuss the strategic impact of such actions. (UPSC CSE 2016)EXPRESS NETWORKAsiatic lion pair adapting well, Vizag zoo optimistic about cubsSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importanceMains Examination: General Studies-III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.What’s the ongoing story: This World Lion Day (August 10), the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam is optimistic about its number of Asiatic lions, currently two, going up in the near future. Zoo officials say its Asiatic lion pair — 12-year-old male Patwad and 4.5-year-old female Kumari, also known as Maheswari — are ready to breed and bring cubs into the world.Key Points to Ponder:• Read about the Asiatic lions.• How are Asiatic lions different from other lions?• What is the ecological significance of the Asiatic lion?• What is the conservation status of the Asiatic lions?Story continues below this ad• What are the challenges in the conservation of Asiatic lions in India?(Thought Process: Link it with habitat fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict)• What are the government initiatives for protecting the Asiatic lion?• Read about the 16th Asiatic Lion Census 2025.• What is Project Lion?• Location: Gir National ParkKey Takeaways:• Zoo curator G Mangamma says the lion and lioness, brought to IGZP in 2019 and 2023, respectively have adapted well to each other. Lions typically reach their reproductive maturity between three and four years of age. Story continues below this ad• Asiatic lions are a vulnerable species. Unlike their African counterparts, Asiatic lions are slightly smaller in size, with a less prominent mane in males and a distinctive fold of skin along their belly.• They are mostly confined to Gir forest in Gujarat, with a few living under specialised conservation breeding programmes in zoological parks like the one in Visakhapatnam.• The Vizag zoo has an adoption programme for animals. The zoo encourages wildlife enthusiasts to adopt animals of their choice.Do You Know:• As per the latest official figures of the 16th Lion Census, the total population of Asiatic Lions, primarily found in the Gir Forests of Gujarat — the last abode of the species in the world — has been estimated at 891. According to Gujarat government records, the first lion census was conducted by the Nawab of Junagadh in 1936.• In 1965, the Gir forest was declared a sanctuary, and since then, the Gujarat Forest Department has been regularly conducting lion censuses every five years.• The lions have colonised at least three new areas — Barda wildlife sanctuary, Jetpur and Babra-Jasdan — in the last five years.• Listed in Schedule I and IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, in Appendix I of CITES.• The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic lions and rarely in African lions, is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly.• Project Lion was announced in August 2020 to secure the future of Asiatic lions through comprehensive, long-term conservation efforts. August 10 is observed as World Lion Day annually to raise awareness of the rapidly diminishing lion population and the critical need for their conservation.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:2025 Lion census shows 32% population rise: Why Asiatic lion’s future can’t be secured by numbers aloneUPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:(2) With reference to the Asiatic Lions, consider the following statements:1. They can hunt prey and protect their area as a group in pride.2. They are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.3. They are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.How many of the statements given above are correct?(a) Only one(b) Only two(c) All three(d) None(3) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2019)1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3EC delists 334 parties for failing to follow norms of registrationSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.Main Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act, Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.What’s the ongoing story: The Election Commission on Saturday said it has delisted 344 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) for failing to comply with the conditions for registration as political parties under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Key Points to Ponder:• Read about the Election Commission of India, its jurisdictions and its functions.• What are the constitutional provisions related to the elections?• What are Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs)?• Read about the Representation of the People Act, 1951.• What are the provisions under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for the registration and continuation of political parties in India?• What is the significance of delisting non-compliant political parties for ensuring electoral transparency?• How does the Election Commission of India manage the election process? • What are the challenges for the Election Commission of India in conducting elections, and how should it deal with them?Key Takeaways:• As per the Act, parties have to give details, including names, addresses and details of office-bearers, during the registration and have to inform the Election Commission if there are changes in the details. The parties will also be delisted if they don’t contest any elections for six years.• In an order passed on Saturday, the EC said these 334 parties were “found to be non-existent at their registered address after a physical verification” and had also not contested any elections since 2019.UPSC Mains 2025 Revision Checklist | Top 15 International Relations topics aspirants shouldn’t miss• In June, the EC had asked the Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) of states and Union Territories to verify if 345 RUPPs were meeting these conditions. “CEOs conducted enquiries, issued show-cause notices to these RUPPs and provided each party an opportunity to respond… 334 RUPPs… have been found not complying with the above conditions…,” an EC statement said.Do You Know:• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent, independent, and constitutional authority responsible for conducting free and fair elections in the Union and the States of India.• The ECI is empowered to supervise, oversee, and manage elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice President of India. Since the ECI does not oversee elections to state-level urban bodies like municipalities and panchayats, there is a separate State Election Commission. • The Constitution has the following articles (Articles 324–329) to empower the Election Commission and provide insight into the potential roles and functions of the commission. • Article 324: The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to Parliament and the Legislature of every state and of elections to the offices of President and Vice-President.• Article 325: No individual to be excluded from electoral rolls on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or any of them. • Article 326: Adult suffrage shall be the basis for elections to the House of the People and to the Legislative Assemblies of States.• Article 327: Parliament may, according to the provisions of this Constitution, from time to time enact laws with respect to all matters relating to elections to Parliament and Legislative Assemblies of States.• Article 328: A state’s Legislature may from time to time by law make provision with respect to all matters relating to, or in connection with, the elections to the House or either House of the Legislature.• Article 329: The article prohibits the courts from becoming involved in electoral matters. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Election Commission of India: Composition, powers and functionsPrevious year UPSC Prelims/Mains Question Covering similar theme:(4) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2017)1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) 3 only THE WORLDAzerbaijan and Armenia sign peace agreement at White HouseSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.What’s the ongoing story: Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Friday during a meeting with US President Donald Trump that would boost bilateral economic ties after decades of conflict and move them toward a full normalization of their relations.Key Points to Ponder:• What is the history of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict?• Read about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.• What is the Nagorno-Karabakh region?• What is the status of India’s relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan?• What is India’s stand on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict?• Map Work-Nagorno-KarabakhKey Takeaways:• President Donald Trump was in the middle as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan flanked him on either side. As the two extended their arms in front of Trump to shake hands, the U.S. leader reached up and clasped his hands around theirs.• The two countries in the South Caucasus signed agreements with each other and the U.S. that will reopen key transportation routes while allowing the U.S. to seize on Russia’s declining influence in the region. The deal includes an agreement that will create a major transit corridor to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House said.• Trump said at the White House on Friday that naming the route after him was “a great honor for me” but “I didn’t ask for this.” A senior administration official, on a call before the event with reporters, said it was the Armenians who suggested the name.• That route will connect Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by a 32-kilometer-wide (20-mile-wide) patch of Armenian territory. The demand from Azerbaijan had held up peace talks in the past.• For Azerbaijan, a major producer of oil and gas, the route also provides a more direct link to Turkey and onward to Europe.Do You Know:• Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh – a mountainous Azerbaijani region that had a mostly ethnic Armenian population – broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia.• Both Armenia and Azerbaijan won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Azerbaijan took back full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 in a military offensive, prompting almost all of the territory’s remaining 100,000 Armenians to flee to Armenia.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: History, India’s responsePrevious year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:(5) Consider the following pairs:Regions often mentioned in news Reason for being in news1. North Kivu and Ituri War between Armenia and Azerbaijan2. Nagorno-Karabakh Insurgency in Mozambique3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Dispute between Israel and LebanonHow many of the above pairs are correctly matched?(UPSC CSE 2023)(a) Only one(b) Only two (c) All three(d) NoneECONOMY India’s last-minute pullout from RCEP offers cues to why the US trade talks have hit a wallSyllabus:Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Effects of liberalisation on the economy.What’s the ongoing story: India’s last-minute decision in November 2019 to withdraw from joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega-regional pact and the most expansive regional trade agreement that India had ever negotiated, was triggered by a belated rethink in New Delhi policy circles.Key Points to Ponder:• US tariffs on India—know the key highlights• What is Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)?• Why did India opt out of RCEP?• What are the economic implications of India opting out of RCEP?• Read about the recent US tariff imposition on India. • How drawing a “red line” over farmers reflects India’s priorities in negotiating trade pressures?• What are the long term and short term implications of U.S. penalties on Indian exports for India’s domestic agricultural policy?• What is the importance of agriculture and dairy in India’s broader trade negotiation framework?• Compare India’s stance on agriculture in this scenario with its broader trade negotiation strategies with other partners.• Evaluate India’s decision to stay out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).Key Takeaways:• The build-up to RCEP, and the last minute jettisoning of the deal by New Delhi, seems to be coming full circle. As the India-US trade talks head into a wall with the 50 per cent tariff looming in the horizon, the dairy and agri sectors, and the issue of GM crops, are proving to be red lines that New Delhi is clear it will not breach, given the political cost of this decision. • While the negotiations for the deal have been constructive and there was a clear sense by end-June in New Delhi that an agreement was close, events have spiralled into a tailspin since then. “Diplomatic and non-trade issues” that cropped up have effectively pushed the deal aground, as reported by The Indian Express.DON'T MISS | UPSC Issue at a Glance | Uttarkashi Cloudburst: What UPSC aspirants must-know for Prelims and Mains• Meanwhile US President Donald Trump has ratcheted up the pressure, primarily because India appears to be staying firm on issues rather than caving in, as a number of other countries have done to bag a headline tariff deal. While that frustration in Washington DC has played a part in the talks heading downhill, diplomatic issues such as India’s rebuttal of some claims made by Trump have contributed to the downward spiral in relations.• Now with the 50 per cent tariffs on India’s exports to the US a reality, at least as things stand today, the real cost of the tariff impact from India’s perspective can be tangibly calculated. The uncertainty so far was proving to be a bigger problem than the tariffs themselves. More than the loss of competitiveness, the high tariffs could dent the positioning of India as a viable China plus-one-alternative, which has already helped New Delhi emerge as a competitive player in high-value assembly such as mobile handsets.• The imposition of higher tariffs on India is part of Trump’s negotiating playbook, which has consistently followed a pattern: keep throwing in a big tariff number to unsettle the other side and then gain leverage on the negotiating table. • Clearly, a decision has been taken in New Delhi to weather the tariff impact, while continuing backchannel negotiations. Also, these secondary tariffs, while being imposed under the guise of Russian oil purchases funding the Ukraine war, seem to be less about Russia and more about India. • In terms of impact on India, while the US is the country’s largest export destination, nearly a quarter of the Indian exports, including pharmaceuticals and sectors such as electronic goods, have a concessional duty impact while entering America at this point in time.• Given India’s hard redlines on agri trade and dairy, New Delhi was prepared to offer something in return. Like Japan did with concessions on rice, even as it walked away with a favourable deal for its auto sector. India has indicated its willingness to offer concessions on high-value purchases that the US is keen to package as part of its tariff-setting exercise and has said it is open to purchasing three big-ticket items from the US: defence equipment, natural gas imports and nuclear reactors. • On specific sectors such as auto, India has communicated its openness to a quota system that progressively opens up market access in that sector over a span of multiple years, like it did in the UK deal signed last week.Do You Know:• US President Donald Trump may have doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent, but New Delhi is not alarmed or unduly perturbed; rather the government seems to be prepared to wait it out for the next few weeks or more — deal with his increasing frustration by remaining calm.• Simultaneously, it has taken an unequivocal call that Trump cannot tell India not to trade with Russia or distance itself from BRICS.Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:Explained: The economic implications of India opting out of RCEPAfter Trump doubles tariff, India’s strategy: Remain quiet, don’t give in, wait it out for now ALSO IN NEWSIndia welcomes Trump-Putin meeting on Aug 15: ‘Ready to support’India on Saturday welcomed the understanding between the United States and Russia for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.Hours after Trump announced the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was ready to support the “efforts” as the meeting “holds the promise” of ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.Earlier this week, India was blindsided by the targeting over buying oil from Russia. India has pushed back against the US for its double standards, as Washington has not targeted China and Europe for their purchases of Russian energy.DRDO Chief says Brahmos launched from Sukhoi-30 was the primary offensive weaponStating that Brahmos missile launched from Sukhoi-30 MKI was the primary offensive weapon used during Operation Sindoor, chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Samir V Kamat said on Saturday that the development of a smaller version of the supersonic cruise missile, Brahmos-NG, will soon begin. He said this variant can be fitted on other aircraft because of its reduced size. Brahmos is an extremely versatile stand-off range ‘fire-and-forget’ type supersonic cruise missile that has proved its capabilities in land-based, ship-based, air launched and submarine-based versions. The Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) is the heaviest missile to arm India’s frontline fighter jet Sukhoi-30 MKI.First-ever freight train arrives in Valley, marks new era of logistical, economic growthIn yet another boost to Jammu and Kashmir’s transportation network, the Indian Railways on Saturday ran a freight train for the first time from Rupnagar in Punjab to Anantnag in Kashmir. The freight train, carrying cement, reached Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday around 12 noon, marking a major milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network. The goods train comes two months after the successful launch of passenger operations on the complete stretch of 272-km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramula Rail Link (USBRL), or Kashmir line, in June this year. PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (a) 4. (d) 5. (d)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com