Daily Current Affairs Quiz for UPSC : 16 August 2025

Regarding India’s Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)—often associated with ‘Samudrayaan’—which statements is/are true?

1. The DOM, launched in 2021 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has a budget of approximately ₹4,077 crore over five years.
2. Matsya-6000 is a manned submersible being developed under the mission, designed to carry three people to depths up to 6,000 metres.
3. A key objective of the DOM is to mine polymetallic nodules in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), particularly in areas allocated under the International Seabed Authority.

Consider the following three statements about Mission Sudarshan Chakra:

1. It aims to build an advanced, indigenous multi-layered air and missile defence shield with both defensive and counter-strike capabilities.
2. The mission is expected to be fully operational and modernized by 2030.
3. It will integrate surveillance, cyber-protection, and physical defence systems, drawing inspiration from Lord Krishna’s mythological Sudarshan Chakra.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding global missile defence programmes of the USA, European Union (EU/NATO), and China:

1. The U.S. Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) relies on a layered network of Patriot, THAAD, and Aegis BMD systems.

2. The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), led by Germany, aims to create a pan-European air and missile defence architecture.

3. China has tested mid-course anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptors and anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons.

Recently, “Comet” has been in the news in two distinct contexts. Consider the following statements:

1. The Indian “Comet” is claimed to be a homegrown search engine under the Digital India initiative, focusing on data privacy, support for multiple Indian languages, and boosting local businesses.

2. Perplexity’s “Comet” is an AI-native browser built on Chromium, integrating an AI assistant capable of summarizing webpages and automating tasks such as bookings and emails.

3. Both versions of Comet are currently available to the general public at no cost, and are being promoted as open-source alternatives to global tech giants.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?