On July 14th, 2025, India & the world witnessed important developments across various sectors. This segment brings together significant updates, from India's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Maratha Military Landscapes, recognizing a rich historical legacy, to the successful flight tests of the indigenous Astra Missile, bolstering India's defense capabilities. Additionally, we explore the launch of the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, a pioneering initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles for sustainable transport. 

Awareness regarding daily UPSC current affairs is crucial for cracking the UPSC Prelims, excelling in UPSC Mains. It helps perform well in the UPSC personality test, thus becoming an informed and effective UPSC civil servant.

Below are the current affairs and headlines of the day taken from The Hindu, Indian Express, Press Information Bureau & All India Radio as required for UPSC preparation:

🏰 Maratha Military Landscapes, India’s 44th UNESCO World Heritage Site

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper I (Art & Culture)

📰 IN NEWS: The ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ were inscribed as India’s 44th UNESCO World Heritage Site during the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee held in Paris, France. This marks global recognition of the Maratha Empire’s strategic and architectural ingenuity spanning the 17th–19th centuries. The site was nominated under criteria (iv) and (vi) for its military architecture and association with living cultural traditions.

🌍 What is the World Heritage Committee? 

It is the governing body of the World Heritage Convention, 1972, under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

👥 Composition

• 21 member states elected by the UNESCO General Assembly for a 6-year term (India is a member from 2021–25).
• Supported by Advisory Bodies: ICOMOS (culture), IUCN (nature), and ICCROM (conservation).

🎯 Objectives

• Identify, protect, and preserve cultural and natural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
• Evaluate and approve nominations to the World Heritage List.
• Allocate funds from the World Heritage Fund for preservation.
• Monitor the state of conservation of inscribed properties.

🛠️ Functions

• Inscribe, defer, or reject sites on the World Heritage List.
• Maintain List of World Heritage in Danger.
• Review Periodic Reports submitted by State Parties.
• Promote capacity building and international cooperation in heritage protection.

🗺️ Details on Maratha Military Landscapes

• Comprises 12 forts across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu built between the 17th and 19th centuries CE.
• Represents strategic military vision, terrain adaptation, and fortification traditions of the Maratha Empire.

🛡️ Inscribed Forts

🇮🇳 World Heritage Sites in India (as of July 2025)

• Total Sites: 44
• Cultural: 36
• Natural: 7
• Mixed: 1
• India is 6th globally and 2nd in the Asia-Pacific in terms of number of World Heritage Sites.
• Archaeological Survey of India is the nodal agency for all World Heritage-related matters in the country.

📊 Category-wise Breakdown

🚀 Astra Missile

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Science & Technology)

📰 IN NEWS: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted flight tests of the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). The missile was equipped with an indigenously developed Radio Frequency (RF) seeker and was launched from a Su-30MKI fighter jet off the Odisha coast.

🔍 What is Astra Missile?

• Name: Astra (meaning "weapon" in Sanskrit)
• Type: Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM)
• Developer: DRDO with support from IAF, HAL, and over 50 public/private industries.
• Platform Compatibility: Currently integrated with Su-30MKI, planned integration with Tejas, Mirage-2000, and MiG-29.
• Range: Over 100 km in head-on mode; ~20–40 km in tail-chase mode.
• Speed: Supersonic (> Mach 4)
• Seeker: Indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker — guides the missile to the target using radar waves.
• Guidance: Inertial navigation system (INS) with mid-course updates via data link.
• Warhead: High-explosive fragmentation type, impact or proximity fuse enabled.
• Control System: Aerodynamic control with thrust vectoring for high agility.
• All-weather and day-night operable.
• Designed to engage and destroy high-speed aerial targets (e.g., fighter jets, drones).
• Capable of lock-on after launch (LOAL) and lock-on before launch (LOBL) modes.

✈️ What is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM)? 

A BVRAAM is an air-to-air missile capable of hitting targets beyond the pilot’s visual line-of-sight, typically more than 30 km.

• Used primarily for pre-emptive strikes in aerial combat.
• Long-range targeting using radar, GPS, or infrared.
• Equipped with active/semi-active radar or infrared seekers.
• High manoeuvrability and speed, often exceeding Mach 3.

⚡ PM E-DRIVE Scheme

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper II (Governance)

📰 IN NEWS: On July 11, 2025, the Ministry of Heavy Industries launched a dedicated e-truck incentive program under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, with ₹500 crore earmarked for incentivizing the purchase of 5,600 electric trucks. This is the first-ever direct support scheme by the Centre for promoting electric freight vehicles, marking a shift toward sustainable transport and addressing urban air pollution, especially in Delhi.

💡 What is PM E-DRIVE Scheme?

• Full form: PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE).
• Launched: October 2024.
• Duration: 2 years (2024–2026).
• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).
• Total Outlay: ₹10,900 crore.

🎯 Objectives

• Promote mass adoption of EVs across commercial and private segments.
• Achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2070 and reduce GHG emissions.
• Enable upfront price reduction through demand-side incentives.
• Create a robust domestic EV manufacturing ecosystem (Atmanirbhar Bharat).

⚙️ Major Components

🎯 Question No. 1

The 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India' have been inscribed as India's 44th UNESCO World Heritage Site. This site comprises 12 forts primarily across which two states?

(a) Maharashtra and Goa

(b) Maharashtra and Karnataka

(c) Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu

(d) Maharashtra and Gujarat

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️ Explanation: The "Details on Maratha Military Landscapes" section states: "Comprises 12 forts across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu built between the 17th and 19th centuries CE."

🎯 Question No. 2

What is the full form of the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, launched by the Ministry of Heavy Industries?

(a) Prime Minister's Electric Development and Revolution in India's Vehicle Economy

(b) PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement

(c) Prime Minister's Electric Development for Rural India's Vehicle Economy

(d) PM Electric Drive for Renewable Energy and Vehicle Infrastructure

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation: The "What is PM E-DRIVE Scheme?" section clearly states its full form as "PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE)."

🎯 Question No. 3

The Astra missile, recently flight-tested by DRDO and IAF, is primarily what type of missile?

(a) Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)

(b) Air-to-Surface Missile (ASM)

(c) Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM)

(d) Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️ Explanation: The "What is Astra Missile?" section identifies its "Type: Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM)."

🎯 Question No. 4

As of July 2025, what is India's global ranking in terms of the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

(a) 4th

(b) 5th

(c) 6th

(d) 7th

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️ Explanation: The "World Heritage Sites in India (as of July 2025)" section states: "India is 6th globally and 2nd in the Asia-Pacific in terms of number of World Heritage Sites."

🎯 Question No. 5

What is the total outlay earmarked for the PM E-DRIVE Scheme?

(a) ₹500 crore

(b) ₹3,679 crore

(c) ₹10,900 crore

(d) ₹780 crore

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️ Explanation: The "What is PM E-DRIVE Scheme?" section lists its "Total Outlay: ₹10,900 crore."