On July 09th, 2025, India & the world witnessed important developments across various sectors. Recent global developments span from the cosmos to critical legal and security matters. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory unveils new cosmic insights, while contrasting High Court rulings on phone tapping spark vital privacy debates. Concurrently, the U.S.'s "Golden Dome" system raises concerns about international space law and space militarization. Understanding these interconnected current affairs is crucial for UPSC preparation across Science & Technology, Polity, Governance, and International Relations.

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:

🔭 Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS Paper III (Science & Technology)

IN NEWS

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory recently released its first test images. This observatory features the world’s largest digital camera, boasting an incredible 3,200 megapixels. Set to become fully operational by the end of 2025, the observatory is anticipated to significantly advance our understanding of the universe. Its research will focus on critical areas such as dark matter, dark energy, and the detection and study of near-Earth asteroids.

🌌 What is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory?

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a state-of-the-art ground-based astronomical facility.

• Location: It is situated on Cerro Pachón in Chile, at a high altitude of 8,684 feet. This location in the Chilean Andes is ideal for astronomical observations due to its consistently clear skies and minimal atmospheric disturbance, which ensures excellent viewing conditions.
• Naming: The observatory is named in honor of Vera C. Rubin, a pioneering American astronomer. She is renowned for providing the first compelling evidence of dark matter in the 1970s, a fundamental component of our universe.
• Primary Design: Its core purpose is to conduct the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a highly ambitious 10-year mission. The LSST is designed to capture the dynamic and ever-changing aspects of the universe, providing an unprecedented time-lapse view of the cosmos.
• Function: The observatory is specifically engineered to scan the entire visible sky of the Southern Hemisphere every three nights over its decade-long operational period. This rapid and repeated scanning will allow astronomers to detect subtle changes and transient events in the night sky.

✨ Primary Goals

The observatory has several ambitious scientific objectives:

• Asteroid and Comet Discovery: It aims to discover a vast number of new asteroids and comets, significantly expanding our catalog of solar system objects.
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy Studies: A major goal is to gather data that will help scientists better understand the mysterious phenomena of dark matter and dark energy, which constitute the majority of the universe's mass and energy.
• Galactic Evolution and Structure: The observations will contribute to a deeper understanding of how galaxies form and evolve over cosmic time, as well as the large-scale structure of the universe.

💡 Key Functions

The observatory's capabilities enable several groundbreaking functions:

• Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST):
  • Cataloguing Asteroids: The LSST is expected to significantly enhance our knowledge of solar system populations. It is projected to discover over 5 million new asteroids and more than 100,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs), which are asteroids and comets that pass close to Earth's orbit.
  • Early Success: Even within its first 10 hours of test data, the observatory demonstrated its potential by identifying 2,104 new asteroids, including 7 previously unknown NEOs, highlighting its efficiency and discovery power.
• Cosmological Studies:
  • The observatory's extensive mapping efforts will provide crucial data to understand the large-scale structure of the universe.
  • This data will be critical in studying dark matter, which accounts for approximately 27% of the universe's mass, and dark energy, which makes up about 68% and is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.
  • The Rubin Observatory's observations could help answer fundamental questions that have long puzzled scientists, such as:
    • Is there a ninth planet (Planet Nine) in the outer regions of our solar system?
    • How did our own galaxy, the Milky Way, form and evolve over billions of years?
    • Are there potentially hazardous asteroids heading toward Earth that pose an impact risk?
• Data-Driven Astronomy:
  • The observatory employs advanced automated software that continuously compares images taken night after night.
  • This system is designed to rapidly generate alerts for any detected changes in the sky. These changes could include the sudden brightening of supernovae, the subtle motion of asteroids, or variations in the brightness of stars.
  • This real-time alert system facilitates immediate follow-up observations by other telescopes around the world, enabling astronomers to study transient events as they happen, revolutionizing the field of time-domain astronomy.

📞 Phone Tapping

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus: GS Paper II (Governance)

IN NEWS

Recently, two High Courts—the Delhi High Court and the Madras High Court—issued differing rulings regarding the legality of government-authorised phone tapping. These cases involved economic offences related to bribery. The Delhi High Court upheld a phone-tapping order, justifying it on grounds of public safety. In contrast, the Madras High Court quashed a similar order, specifically rejecting the argument that economic offences could be considered a "public emergency" under the existing law.

⚖️ Statutory Provisions on Phone Tapping

Phone tapping in India is governed by specific legal frameworks:

• Indian Telegraph Act, 1885:
  • Section 5(2) of this Act is the primary legal basis. It permits the interception of messages on certain specific grounds, which include:
    • Public emergency or public safety.
    • The sovereignty and integrity of India.
    • The security of the state.
    • Maintaining friendly relations with foreign states.
    • Public order.
    • Preventing incitement to the commission of an offence.
• Indian Post Office Act, 1898:
  • This Act allows for the interception of postal communications under circumstances that are clearly specified within the law.
• Information Technology Act, 2000:
  • This modern legislation governs the interception of electronic communication. This includes digital forms of communication such as emails, WhatsApp messages, and other digital messages, reflecting the evolution of communication technology.
• Telegraph Rules – Rule 419A (introduced in 2007):
  • This specific rule was introduced to provide detailed procedural safeguards that must be followed when issuing interception orders. These safeguards are designed to prevent arbitrary use of phone tapping powers.

🏛️ Key High Court Rulings on Phone Tapping

Recent rulings by two High Courts highlight the ongoing legal debate:

• Delhi High Court (June 2025):
  • The court upheld an interception order issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The order targeted an accused individual involved in a large bribery case amounting to ₹2,149 crore for redevelopment.
  • The Delhi High Court's reasoning was that corruption on such a large scale poses a threat to economic safety, which can, in turn, be considered a matter of public safety.
  • The court emphasized the significant economic scale of the offence as a valid justification for authorizing the interception of phone calls.
• Madras High Court (July 2025):
  • In contrast, the Madras High Court quashed an interception order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a bribery case involving ₹50 lakh.
  • The court explicitly ruled that economic offences like tax evasion or bribery, in this specific case, do not qualify as a "public emergency" under the law, thereby limiting the grounds for phone tapping.
  • It cited a lack of proper procedural compliance with guidelines previously laid down by the Supreme Court in the PUCL case of 1997.
  • The court held that the sole objective of detecting tax evasion or bribery, without meeting the strict criteria of public emergency or public safety, cannot justify phone tapping.

📜 Key Supreme Court Ruling: PUCL vs Union of India (1997)

This landmark Supreme Court judgment established crucial guidelines for phone tapping:

• The Supreme Court acknowledged that Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, grants the government the power to intercept messages in cases of public emergency or for public safety.
• The court upheld the constitutional validity of Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act, recognizing the state's need for such powers under specific circumstances.
• However, to prevent misuse and protect citizens' privacy, the Supreme Court established a set of strict procedural safeguards:
  • Issuing Authority: Interception orders can only be issued by the Union Home Secretary at the Central level or by the Home Secretary of the respective State.
  • Least Intrusive Means: The authorities must first review whether the required information can be obtained through less intrusive means before resorting to phone tapping.
  • Review Committee: A Review Committee, established at both the Central and State levels, must assess each interception order within two months of its issuance to ensure its legality and necessity.
  • Specificity and Time-Bound Nature: Orders for interception must be specific, clearly stating the reasons for tapping. They must also be time-bound, with a maximum duration of two months at a time, though they can be extended for up to six months if justified.
  • Inadmissibility of Unlawfully Gathered Evidence: Any evidence obtained through unlawful or procedurally non-compliant phone tapping is explicitly ruled as inadmissible in a court of law, reinforcing the importance of legal adherence.

🛡️ Golden Dome and International Space Law

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS Paper II (International Relations)

IN NEWS

U.S. President Donald Trump recently unveiled the “Golden Dome”, a proposed $175-billion space-based missile defence system. This ambitious initiative aims to intercept various threats, including ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and orbital threats. It plans to achieve this using a constellation of satellite-based interceptors, which could employ either kinetic (physical impact) or directed-energy (like lasers or microwaves) technologies. The announcement of the Golden Dome has sparked significant international concern. Key issues raised include the potential for militarisation of outer space, possible violations of the Outer Space Treaty (OST), and various diplomatic implications for crucial partners like India.

🤝 Outer Space Treaty (OST), 1967

The Outer Space Treaty (OST), signed in 1967, is a foundational international agreement governing the activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space.

• Article IV Prohibitions: Article IV of the OST specifically prohibits:
  • The placement of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in orbit around the Earth.
  • The establishment of military bases, installations, or fortifications on celestial bodies (like the Moon or planets).
  • The conduct of military maneuvers on celestial bodies.
• Loophole: A critical point of contention is a perceived loophole in the treaty. While it explicitly bans nuclear weapons and WMDs, conventional weapons, such as kinetic interceptors like those proposed for Golden Dome, are not explicitly forbidden. This lack of explicit prohibition allows for ambiguous interpretations regarding their legality in orbit.
• "Peaceful Purposes" Interpretation: The OST broadly supports the use of outer space only for “peaceful purposes.” However, the interpretation of "peaceful purposes" varies among nations:
  • Some countries interpret it as allowing non-aggressive military uses, such as surveillance satellites for verification or communication.
  • Others advocate for complete demilitarisation, arguing that any weaponization of space, even for defensive purposes, goes against the spirit of the treaty.

⚠️ Key Concerns

The Golden Dome initiative raises several significant international concerns:

• Violation of the Spirit of OST: Even if not technically illegal due to the loophole, deploying weaponized systems in orbit fundamentally undermines the original intent and spirit of the Outer Space Treaty, which aimed to keep space free from conflict.
• Destabilisation of Space Security Norms: Such a deployment could trigger an orbital arms race, where other nations feel compelled to develop their own space-based weapons. This would erode existing international norms and efforts under PAROS (Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space), an ongoing UN initiative.
• Dual-Use Ambiguity: The interceptors designed for Golden Dome, while intended for missile defence, possess inherent dual-use capabilities. They could potentially be repurposed to attack or disable other nations' satellites, leading to increased mistrust and instability in space.
• Threat to Mutual Deterrence: If one nation possesses a highly effective space-based missile defence system, it could theoretically gain a first-strike advantage. This might weaken the concept of mutual deterrence, which relies on the threat of retaliation to prevent large-scale conflicts, thereby reducing global strategic stability.
• Space Debris Risks: Any kinetic action in space, such as the destruction of a missile or satellite, would inevitably generate a massive amount of space debris. This debris would pose a severe threat to operational satellites, including communication, navigation, and scientific satellites, as well as to manned space stations, increasing the risk of collisions.

🇮🇳 India’s Position and Dilemma

India finds itself in a complex situation regarding the Golden Dome:

• Partnership with U.S.: India is a key partner of the U.S. in areas like space situational awareness and satellite tracking, which are crucial for space safety and security.
• Commitment to Peaceful Space Use: India has consistently advocated for the peaceful use of outer space and has actively supported PAROS resolutions at the United Nations, emphasizing the need to prevent an arms race in space.
• Dilemma: This creates a significant dilemma for India:
  • It must balance its tactical alignment and growing strategic partnership with the U.S. against its long-standing normative commitment to the demilitarisation of outer space.
  • Any direct or indirect association with the Golden Dome project could potentially undermine India’s credibility as a responsible space power on the international stage, especially among nations that advocate for a weapon-free space.
• Space Activities Bill: This issue also intersects with India’s pending Space Activities Bill. This proposed legislation is expected to define crucial aspects of India's space policy, including:
  • The regulation of dual-use technologies (those with both civilian and military applications).
  • Guidelines for the involvement of the private sector in space activities.
  • Norms for compliance with international space treaties.

🎯 Question No. 1

Which of the following statements about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is/are correct?

1. It is located in the Chilean Andes, an ideal location for astronomical observations.
2. Its primary mission is the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year endeavor.
3. It features the world's largest digital camera with a resolution of 3,200 megapixels.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅ Correct Answer: (d)

ℹ️ Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The article states it is "located on Cerro Pachón, Chile, at an altitude of 8,684 feet... This location in the Chilean Andes is ideal for astronomical observations."
• Statement 2 is correct: The article mentions it is "Designed primarily for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) — a 10-year mission."
• Statement 3 is correct: The article explicitly states, "It features the world’s largest digital camera (3,200 megapixels)."

🎯 Question No. 2

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is named after an American astronomer known for her work related to:

(a) The discovery of exoplanets

(b) Providing the first evidence of dark matter

(c) Developing the Hubble Space Telescope

(d) Pioneering research on black holes

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation:

The article states, "Named after Vera C. Rubin, the American astronomer who provided the first evidence of dark matter in the 1970s."

🎯 Question No. 3

In India, the primary statutory provision governing phone tapping for surveillance or evidence collection is:

(a) The Right to Information Act, 2005

(b) The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885

(c) The Information Technology Act, 2000

(d) The National Security Act, 1980

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation:

The article explicitly states, "Indian Telegraph Act, 1885: Section 5(2): Allows interception on grounds of..." while the IT Act governs electronic communication, the Telegraph Act is the primary for telephonic.

🎯 Question No. 4

The Supreme Court's ruling in PUCL vs Union of India (1997) regarding phone tapping primarily established:

(a) That phone tapping is unconstitutional under all circumstances.

(b) That only the President of India can authorize phone tapping orders.

(c) Strict procedural safeguards for issuing and reviewing interception orders.

(d) That economic offences automatically qualify as a "public emergency" for tapping.

✅ Correct Answer: (c)

ℹ️ Explanation:

The article states, "Key Supreme Court Ruling: PUCL vs Union of India (1997)... Established procedural safeguards." It then lists these safeguards, such as orders by Home Secretary, review committees, and time-bound orders.

🎯 Question No. 5

The "Golden Dome" initiative, recently unveiled by the U.S., primarily refers to:

(a) A new international space station project.

(b) A space-based missile defence system.

(c) A lunar mining operation.

(d) A global satellite internet constellation.

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

ℹ️ Explanation:

The article clearly states, "U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the 'Golden Dome', a $175-billion space-based missile defence system."

🎯 Question No. 6

Article IV of the Outer Space Treaty (OST), 1967, explicitly prohibits:

1. The placement of nuclear weapons in orbit.
2. The stationing of military bases on celestial bodies.
3. The use of conventional weapons in outer space.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅ Correct Answer: (a)

ℹ️ Explanation:

The article states, "Article IV of OST prohibits: Placement of nuclear weapons or WMDs in orbit. Stationing military bases on celestial bodies. Conducting military maneuvers in space." It also notes a "Loophole: Conventional weapons like kinetic interceptors are not explicitly banned." Therefore, statement 3 is incorrect.