CURRENT AFFAIRS | 24 JULY 2026
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the maiden flight test of ‘Kusha’, an indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. Kusha will help India build a home-grown, multi-layered air-defence shield and reduce dependence on imported systems like the Russian S-400.
Constitutional & Legal Framework
- DRDO: The Defence Research and Development Organisation, under the Ministry of Defence, is India’s premier defence R&D agency (founded 1958).
- Mission Sudarshan Chakra: A planned nationwide, multi-domain security shield against enemy attacks, to be built over the next decade using indigenous systems like Kusha.
- Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence: Self-reliance in defence manufacturing to cut import dependency, a stated national policy goal.
The CLAT Angle
CLAT GK regularly features DRDO milestones, missile names and test ranges (APJ Abdul Kalam Island / Chandipur, Odisha). Kusha’s interceptor variants strike at 150 km, 250 km and 350–400 km, giving a layered shield comparable to the S-400. Remember the umbrella vision ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra’ and DRDO’s founding year (1958).
Key Facts at a Glance
| System | ‘Kusha’ — indigenous Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) |
| Test site | APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the Odisha coast |
| Developer | DRDO with industry partners |
| Interceptor ranges | 150 km, 250 km and 350–400 km (multi-layered) |
| Strategic goal | Home-grown air-defence shield; cut S-400 dependence; Mission Sudarshan Chakra |
Memory Hook: “KUSHA”
Kills threats at Up to 400 km, Surface-to-air, Home-grown, Abdul Kalam Island.
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Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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