Prelims Mantra – (10/11/2025)

Indian Polity

National Legal Services Day:

• • November 9 is celebrated as the National Legal Services Day to commemorate the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which led to the establishment of organisations providing free legal aid to the needy.

• • India’s legal aid system has reached 44.22 lakh people (2022-25) and resolved 23.58 crore cases through Lok Adalats.
  • From 2022-23 to 2024-25 over 23.58 crore cases were resolved through the state, permanent and national Lok Adalats.
  • The Legal Services Authority Act, 1987, established legal aid organisations nationwide to ensure that no citizen suffering from economic or other barriers is denied an equal opportunity for getting justice.
  • The act established a three-tier system to provide free and competent legal services:
    • National Legal Services Authority (headed by the Chief Justice of India)
    • State Legal Services Authorities (headed by the Chief Justice of High Court)
    • District Legal Services Authorities (headed by the District Judge)
  • The Act also established Lok Adalats and Permanent Lok Adalats, which are alternate dispute redressal forums.

(PIB)

Legal Aid Defense Counsel System (LADCS) Scheme:

• • The LADCS scheme by NALSA provides free legal defense in criminal cases for eligible beneficiaries under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
  • As on September 30, 2025, 668 districts have a functional LADCS office.

(PIB)

Geography, Mapping, Ecology & Environment

Super Typhoon Fung-wong:

• • It is part of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season and developed into a major typhoon in early November 2025.
  • It made landfall over the northeastern Philippines (specifically around Aurora Province, Luzon) on 9 November 2025 with sustained winds of about 185 km/h, gusting up to about 230 km/h.

• • The storm’s wind and rain‐band footprint were extremely large, estimates say its diameter reached about 1,800 km at peak.
  • It struck shortly after another major typhoon (Typhoon Kalmaegi) had already impacted the Philippines, thereby compounding disaster risks.

(TH)

Science & Technology

Aditya-L1:

• • Context: Using the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload aboard India’s first dedicated space-based solar mission, Aditya-L1, scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), along with NASA, have collaborated to estimate the crucial parameters of a coronal mass ejection (CME), very close to its lift-off from the sun.
  • Launched by: ISRO on 2nd September 2023 using PSLV-C57 from Sriharikota.
  • Objective: To study the Sun, particularly the solar corona, solar wind, and magnetic field dynamics.
  • Orbit: Positioned at Lagrange Point 1 (L1), about 1.5 million km from Earth, allowing continuous observation of the Sun without eclipse interruptions.
  • First Indian solar mission.
  • Payloads: 7 scientific instruments (4 for remote sensing of the Sun and 3 for in-situ observation of particles and fields).
  • Important payloads include:
    • VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) – to study the solar corona.
    • SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) – to study solar UV radiation.
    • ASPEX & PAPA – to study solar wind particles.
    • Magnetometer – to measure interplanetary magnetic fields.
  • Significance: Helps understand space weather, solar flares, and their impact on satellite communications and power grids on Earth.
  • Collaborating institution: Various Indian research institutes like IUCAA, ISRO’s URSC, and PRL.
  • Mission type: Halo orbit mission around L1 — ensures constant Sun visibility.

(TH)

Defence & Security

EXERCISE MALABAR 2025 AT GUAM:

• • The Indian Navy’s INS Sahyadri (a guided‑missile stealth frigate, indigenously designed and built) is participating in Exercise Malabar 2025 at Guam (U.S. Island territory in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific.)

• • The participation underscores India’s commitment to strengthening maritime coordination and interoperability with partner navies, thereby affirming its role in regional maritime security.
  • The exercise will be conducted in two phases:
    • Harbour phase, involving operational planning, communication alignment, familiarisation visits, and sports fixtures.
    • Sea phase, involving naval drills such as joint fleet operations, anti‑submarine warfare, gunnery exercises and flying operations.
  • This deployment aligns with India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision by showcasing an indigenous warship in a key multilateral exercise.

(PIB)

PRACTICE MCQ’S

Q1. With reference to the Aditya-L1 Mission, consider the following statements:

1. It is India’s first dedicated mission to study the Sun, launched by ISRO using the PSLV launch vehicle.

2. The spacecraft is placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) between the Earth and the Moon.

3. One of its main instruments, VELC, is designed to study the solar corona and its heating processes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 2 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: C

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Aditya-L1 is India’s first solar observatory mission, launched by PSLV-C57 in 2023.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The L1 point lies between the Earth and the Sun, not the Moon.

Statement 3 is correct: VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) studies the solar corona, coronal mass ejections, and heating phenomena.

Q2. Match the following recent cyclones and typhoons with their primary affected locations:

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1‑B, 2‑C, 3‑A, 4‑D

b) 1‑C, 2‑D, 3‑B, 4‑A

c) 1‑A, 2‑B, 3‑C, 4‑D

d) 1‑C, 2‑B, 3‑D, 4‑A

Answer: D

Explanation:

Super Typhoon Fung-wong (2025): Struck eastern Luzon, Philippines.

Typhoon Kalmaegi (2025): Hit northern Luzon, Philippines.

Cyclone Mocha (2023): Severely affected Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Cyclone Biparjoy (2023): Formed in the Arabian Sea, impacting the western coast of India.

Q3. With reference to Lok Adalats and Permanent Lok Adalats (PLAs) in India, consider the following statements:

1. Lok Adalats are organized under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide speedy and amicable settlement of disputes.

2. The award of a Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is binding on all parties, with no appeal permitted.

3. Permanent Lok Adalats can take up disputes relating to public utility services even before the dispute is formally filed in court.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: D

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Lok Adalats are organized under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Statement 2 is correct: Awards of Lok Adalats are equivalent to civil court decrees, final and binding, and cannot be appealed.

Statement 3 is correct: Under Section 22B of the Act, Permanent Lok Adalats deal with disputes related to public utility services (like transport, postal, electricity) and can handle cases even before formal litigation begins.

Q4. Match the following recent defence exercises with their locations:

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1‑A, 2‑B, 3‑C, 4‑D

b) 1‑B, 2‑C, 3‑A, 4‑D

c) 1‑A, 2‑D, 3‑B, 4‑C

d) 1‑C, 2‑B, 3‑D, 4‑A

Answer: A

Explanation:

Malabar‑2025: Indo‑US‑Japan‑Australia naval exercise conducted in the Northern Pacific, near Guam.

Trishul‑2025: Indian Army combined arms exercise conducted in the Rajasthan desert.

Yudh Abhyas‑2025: India‑US joint military exercise in the Himalayan region, Uttarakhand.

Sea Breeze‑2025: Multilateral exercise hosted by Ukraine in the Black Sea.

Spread the Word

The post Prelims Mantra – (10/11/2025) appeared first on Lukmaan IAS.