Prelims Focus 24th June 2025

UMEED Portal

In News: The Minority Affairs Ministry actively engages with States and Union Territories to ensure effective implementation of the UMEED portal, ensuring all Waqf properties are uploaded within six months.

• UMEED portal is developed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to manage Waqf residences efficiently across India.
• The UMEED Central Portal, brief for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 will function as a centralized digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and tracking of Waqf properties. 
• Key Features of the Portal are:
  • Creation of a digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf houses
  • Online criticism redressal system for higher responsiveness
  • Transparent leasing and utilization monitoring
  • Integration with GIS mapping and different e-Governance tools
  • Public access to proven data and reports.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

In News: UA plan drawn as much as rationalise the boundary of Sariska Tiger Reserve’s Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) may provide a lifeline to over 50 marble and dolomite mines that have been closed following a Supreme Court order.

• If authorized, the new boundaries could exclude degraded peripheral areas, shifting mining operations outside the prohibited one-kilometre area.
• Sariska Tiger Reserve or Sariska National Park is one in all the biggest and most renowned Tiger reserves in Northern India.
• The park is located within the Alwar district of Rajasthan.
• Sariska Tiger reserve was the hunting ground for the princely state of Alwar. But after Independence, The Sariska Forest was first notified as a Wildlife Reserve in 1955.
• 1978: It was declared as the eleventh Tiger Reserve via the Government of India.
• 1982: The Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary was distinct as Sariska National Park.

Tomahawk missile

In News: The United States has entered the Israel-Iran conflict by launching coordinated precision strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities using Tomahawk cruise missiles and GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs. This marked a significant escalation in the conflict, with the US directly targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure for the first time.

• The Tomahawk missile is an American long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy for ship- and submarine-based land-attack operations. 
• It was developed in the 1970s at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory and has a modular design allowing it to carry various warheads, including high-explosive, submunitions, and bunker-busters.

Key features of the Tomahawk missile include:

• Length of about 5.6 meters (18.4 feet) and weight up to 1,600 kg.
• Range of approximately 1,600 to 2,400 km (about 1,000 to 1,500 miles), depending on the variant.
• Subsonic speed around 880 km/h (550 mph).
• Low-altitude flight (30 to 90 meters) to evade radar detection, using terrain contour matching (TERCOM) and digital scene-matching area correlation (DSMAC) for navigation and targeting accuracy.
• Guidance systems include GPS, inertial navigation, TERCOM, and DSMAC, with modern versions featuring data links for in-flight retargeting and loitering capabilities.
• Can be launched vertically from ships and horizontally from submarine torpedo tubes or external launchers.

INS Nilgiri

In News: INS Nilgiri, the first of the indigenously built Project 17A stealth frigates, has officially joined the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) and will serve as an integral part of the Eastern Sword–Sunrise Fleet based in Visakhapatnam, also known as the “City of Destiny”.

Key Highlights

• Project 17A Stealth Frigate: INS Nilgiri is the lead ship in a series of seven advanced frigates designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
• Home Port: Although constructed in Mumbai, INS Nilgiri now calls Visakhapatnam its home port, marking a strategic shift in India’s naval focus toward the eastern seaboard.
• Capabilities: The ship features state-of-the-art stealth technology, advanced weaponry, sensors, and indigenous combat systems. It is equipped for multi-role operations, including anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare.
• Motto: The ship operates under the motto “Adrishya Balam, Ajeya Shauryam” (Invisible Force, Invincible Valour).
• Strategic Significance: The induction of INS Nilgiri significantly enhances the combat and operational capabilities of the Eastern Fleet, strengthening India’s maritime security in the Bay of Bengal and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

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