Current Affairs Exam

Iran Nuclear Risk

• Recent US airstrikes, following Israeli strikes, targeted major Iranian nuclear enrichment sites: Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. (GS Paper II – International relations)
• These facilities are crucial for producing Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU), potentially usable in nuclear weapons. (GS Paper III – Science and Technology)
• Strikes raised fears of a nuclear explosion or radiation disaster.
• A nuclear explosion did not occur because nuclear weapons require specific conditions (weapons-ready material, precise triggering) not present in enrichment facilities under attack.
• Nuclear bombs detonate via fission/fusion reactions with precise mechanisms, unlike chemical explosives or facilities holding raw/partially enriched material. (GS Paper III – Science and Technology)
• The actual risk is from nuclear radiation release if storage or processing infrastructure is damaged.
• Nuclear facilities store radioactive substances like Uranium, UF6, and radioactive waste.
• Radiation (e.g., gamma rays) is harmful, causing DNA damage, cancer, and long-term environmental contamination (soil, water, food chains). (GS Paper III – Science and Technology)
• Facilities are designed to contain radiation, but strikes pose a risk of breaching containment.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed no off-site radiation increase after the strikes and is monitoring the situation. (GS Paper II – International relations)
• US reportedly used GBU-57 MOP “Bunker Buster” bombs, designed for fortified targets, delivered by B-2 bombers. (Value addition) (GS Paper III – Science and Technology)

INS Tamal

• Commissioning on July 1, 2025: Marks its official entry into service, adding a modern warship to the Indian Navy.
• Final Foreign-Built Warship: Significant as it represents the conclusion of India’s reliance on foreign warship construction, aligning with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ focus on indigenous shipbuilding.
• Upgraded Tushil-class Frigate: Belongs to the latest evolution of the Krivak-class, designed for multi-role operations including escort, anti-submarine, anti-air, and surface combat.
• Size and Range: With 3,900 tonnes displacement and blue-water endurance, it is capable of long-range deployments crucial for projecting power in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Powerful Weaponry: Armed with BrahMos missiles, Shtil SAMs, a 100mm gun, CIWS, torpedoes, and ASW rockets, providing robust offensive and defensive capabilities.
• Advanced Systems: Equipped with modern radar, electronic warfare (EW), electro-optical systems, and network-centric warfare capability, enhancing its effectiveness and integration in naval operations.
• Indigenous Contribution: Features 26% Indian-made components, reflecting growing domestic involvement in defense manufacturing even in foreign collaborations.
• Strategic Role: As a frigate, it serves as a vital part of the Navy’s surface combat fleet, essential for protecting sea lines of communication and acting as a deterrent.

Alcohol Law India

• India is facing a growing alcohol crisis with high consumption (14.6% of adults) and significant health, social, and financial harms, contributing to 2.6 million DALYs and costing ₹6.24 trillion in 2021. This escalating problem drives calls for a unified national strategy.
• Consumption is driven by psychosocial factors (stress, peer pressure, media), commercial determinants (product innovation, easy access, advertising loopholes, affordability), and regulatory gaps like states’ dependence on excise revenue.
• Alcohol regulation falls under State jurisdiction, resulting in fragmented policies across India, including varying legal ages (18-25), limited pricing controls, and inconsistent approaches from prohibition in some states to enabling online delivery in others.
• Despite national-level policies addressing related issues (mental health, NCDs), a comprehensive, unified National Alcohol Control Policy is absent.
• Key challenges include policy inconsistency, state revenue dependency on alcohol taxes, exploitation of advertising loopholes (surrogate ads, influencers), political nexus aiding illicit trade, and low public awareness of alcohol’s harms.
• Addressing the crisis requires a coordinated approach focusing on Affordability (higher taxes), Allocation (earmarking revenue for health), curbing Accessibility (physical/digital), banning Advertisements, reducing Attractiveness (packaging), raising Awareness, and utilizing AI for monitoring.
• A National Alcohol Control Policy and Programme is urgently needed to prioritize public health, prevention, and long-term well-being over fragmented state policies and revenue generation.

RBI Monetary Policy

• In the June 2025 meeting, the RBI MPC discussed shifting the stance from Accommodative to Neutral. This is because, despite 100 bps rate cuts since February 2025, there is limited space for monetary policy to further support growth, given the fragile global economy, slow pace of inflation reduction, and external uncertainties. A neutral stance offers flexibility based on incoming data.
• There was a discussion on cutting policy rates to support growth while maintaining price stability. The rationale included the sharp fall in inflation from 6.2% (Oct 2024) to 3.2% (April 2025) and a lower projected annual average inflation.
• Different views existed within the MPC on the magnitude of the rate cut (50 bps proposed vs. 25 bps proposed). The argument for a smaller cut (25 bps) highlighted economic resilience, existing large liquidity injections by RBI aiding transmission, and the need for a cautious approach due to uncertainties.
• The global economic situation remains fragile, with slow growth and inflation receding slowly. This global uncertainty underscores the need for growth-supportive policies but also a flexible monetary stance.

SMA

• First instance in India of a newborn diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) gene mutation through prenatal screening receiving presymptomatic treatment.
• The infant is being treated with Risdiplam, a rare disease-modifying drug.
• The treatment aims to prevent or minimise potential motor neuron damage before symptoms develop, leveraging the crucial therapeutic time window.
• SMA is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the SMN1 gene, leading to motor neuron loss and progressive muscle weakness.
• It is typically inherited from parents who are carriers.
• SMA affects about 1 in 10,000 births and is a major genetic cause of infant mortality.
• Early diagnosis, often challenging, allows for earlier intervention which is known to improve motor function and outcomes.
• Risdiplam is an expensive drug; the state government supports patients through its KARE initiative.
• While treatments can improve life and muscle function, SMA is currently not curable, and early treatment aims to manage the disease progression.

Subarnarekha River

• Flooding in Balasore, Odisha: Caused by the alleged release of water from Chandil Dam on the Subarnarekha River in Jharkhand without prior intimation to Odisha.
• Significant area inundated: Four blocks (Baliapal, Bhograi, Basta, Jaleswar) and over 50 villages in Balasore district were flooded, affecting more than 50,000 people.
• Missing person reported: One person went missing after being swept away by floodwater in the Baliapal block area.
• River level receding: The water level of the Subarnarekha at Rajghat dropped below the danger mark on Sunday, indicating a potential improvement in the flood situation.
• Rescue and relief efforts underway: Teams from Fire Service, ODRAF, and NDRF have been deployed for operations, and health teams are distributing essentials in affected villages.
• Chandil Dam’s role questioned: Balasore MP alleged “criminal misconduct” by Chandil Dam authorities for releasing excess water without informing Odisha.
• Subarnarekha River’s geography: It originates in Jharkhand and flows through Odisha (where the flooding occurred) before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, with Chandil Dam located on its course.

Stimulus & Slowdown

• RBI cuts repo rate to 5.5%: Why: To lower borrowing costs and stimulate private investment and growth during an economic slowdown, facilitated by falling inflation.
• Government cuts income tax: Why: To increase disposable income and consumer spending, aiming for an expansionary fiscal stance to boost demand.
• Policy coordination challenge: Why: Effective macroeconomic stability requires fiscal and monetary policies to work together; opposing stances can cancel out effects.
• Household spending caution: Why: Households may delay spending tax cut gains due to uncertainty, limiting the immediate stimulus impact.
• Weak growth signals persist: Why: Despite policy support, indicators like GDP forecast (6.5%), credit growth (9%), and unemployment (5.6%) show growth remains muted.
• Risk of fiscal deficit increase: Why: Tax cuts reduce government revenue, potentially increasing the deficit unless spending is cut, which could undermine long-term fiscal health.
• Expansionary tools include spending, tax cuts, rate cuts: Why: These are standard measures governments and central banks use during slowdowns to boost aggregate demand, investment, and employment.

Quantum Comms

• India is rapidly advancing towards satellite-based quantum communication targeting operational capability by 2030. Why: To achieve ultra-secure, unhackable communication across long distances, crucial for national security and joining an elite group of nations.
• Researchers at IIT Delhi and DRDO recently demonstrated secure quantum communication over a 1-kilometer free-space link using entangled photons. Why: Proves capability for quantum communication in environments without fiber cables, like battlefields, aircraft, and ultimately, space.
• Key metrics from the free-space demo include a secure key rate of ~240 bits/sec and a quantum bit error rate below 7%. Why: Shows practical performance and viability of the free-space technology.
• Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a core feature, enabling two parties to share an encryption key securely using quantum particles. Why: Any attempt to intercept the quantum state alerts users, making the communication virtually unhackable.
• India is building on earlier milestones, including the first intercity fiber link (2022) and 100km QKD over fiber (2024). Why: Shows systematic progress across different types of quantum communication.
• Free-space and satellite systems are vital for secure communication where fiber is impractical or for global reach. Why: Overcomes the distance limitations of fiber, enabling applications like satellite-based secure networks.
• This technology is strategically important for military, government, and financial security. Why: Protects classified data and critical transactions from potential future quantum computing attacks.
• India’s progress helps close the gap with global leaders like China, which already has a quantum satellite (Micius). Why: Ensures India’s technological readiness and security independence in this critical area.

Lead to Gold

• Scientists at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) briefly transformed lead nuclei into gold nuclei. Why: This demonstrates the feasibility of nuclear transmutation using extreme physics, echoing ancient alchemists’ dreams in a modern scientific context.
• The transformation happened not through direct collisions but “ultra-peripheral” near-miss interactions. Why: This shows that powerful electromagnetic fields generated by fast-moving particles can trigger nuclear changes, specifically electromagnetic dissociation, leading to proton ejection.
• Lead (82 protons) became gold (79 protons) by losing exactly three protons from its nucleus. Why: This confirms the principle that an element’s identity is determined by its number of protons and that altering this number can change one element into another at the nuclear level.
• The amount of gold created was minuscule (picograms) and existed for only a nanosecond before fragmenting. Why: This highlights that the experiment is a fundamental physics demonstration, not a practical method for producing gold, and illustrates the fleeting nature of the transformation under these conditions.
• The study provides insights into ultra-peripheral collisions, tests theoretical models of electromagnetic dissociation, and helps improve understanding crucial for particle accelerator performance. Why: Beyond the ‘gold’ fascination, the experiment yields valuable data for advancing particle physics, understanding matter under extreme conditions, and optimizing future collider technologies.

AMR

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to medicines, making infections hard to treat and increasing severe illness and death risk.
• A major cause of AMR is the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, particularly in livestock and human healthcare.
• AMR is a growing global threat, projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if left unchecked.
• Traditional livestock farming contributes to AMR due to heavy antibiotic use and also causes high greenhouse gas emissions, land, and water use.
• Insect-based livestock feed (e.g., black soldier fly larvae, crickets) is being explored as a sustainable alternative.
• Insect feed can convert organic waste, reduce emissions, use less land and water, and is cost-effective.
• Critically, promoting alternatives like insect-based feed in agriculture helps reduce the reliance on antibiotics in animal farming, addressing a key driver of AMR.
• Scientific evidence suggests insects offer good digestibility and nutrition, potentially replacing traditional feeds like soy or fish meal efficiently.
• Reducing AMR requires rational use of antibiotics, responsible use in agriculture (like promoting alternatives), improved hygiene, stronger surveillance, R&D, and public awareness.
• India has implemented measures like a National Action Plan on AMR, the Red Line Campaign, and FSSAI regulations to curb antibiotic misuse.
• Indian initiatives by CIBA and ICAR are exploring and scaling up insect feed for aquaculture to help reduce antibiotic use in shrimp and fish farming.

Midnight Hammer

• Operation Midnight Hammer Launched: The US military conducted strikes targeting Iran’s critical nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. This is major news because it represents a direct, large-scale military action against Iran’s perceived nuclear weapons program infrastructure.
• Targeted Key Facilities: The operation specifically hit Fordow (deep underground enrichment), Natanz (enrichment), and Isfahan. Targeting these sites is significant because they are considered central to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, aiming to severely degrade or halt their progress.
• Used GBU-57 Bunker Busters on Fordow: 12 GBU-57 bombs were dropped by B-2 bombers on Fordow, a heavily fortified underground site, causing significant damage. This is newsworthy because the GBU-57 is the most powerful non-nuclear penetrator bomb, and its use against a deeply buried target like Fordow demonstrates a unique US capability and a clear intent to destroy hardened facilities regardless of depth. It also marks the GBU-57’s first combat use.
• Tactics Involved Stealth and Deception: The operation used stealth aircraft (B-2) and deception to bypass Iranian air defenses. This is significant because it highlights the US ability to project power deep into hostile territory with minimal detection risk, ensuring the strikes could be carried out successfully against well-defended targets.
• Demonstrated B-2 + GBU-57 Capability: The B-2, being the only aircraft capable of carrying the GBU-57, was crucial. This combination is key news as it shows the US can strike and destroy deeply buried strategic targets (like nuclear bunkers) effectively and stealthily, a capability few other nations possess.

A980 Unique Chemistry

• Star A980 is a rare cool Extreme Helium (EHe) star, located about 25,800 light years away in the Ophiuchus constellation.
• Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) discovered singly-ionized germanium (Ge II) in A980’s spectrum, marking the first time this element has been detected in an EHe star.
• The level of germanium in A980 is unusually high, eight times more abundant than in the Sun.
• Why this is news: Existing stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis models predict that heavy elements like germanium are primarily formed in supernovae or Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, not in rare EHe stars which are thought to form from white dwarf mergers.
• Star A980’s unique chemistry challenges these established models, suggesting element formation processes may occur during white dwarf mergers or pointing to specific s-process enhancements not well-covered in current theories, indicating a need to revise how we understand stellar evolution and element creation in such objects.

Rice Yellow Mottle Virus

• Major Threat in Africa: Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV) is a highly contagious disease ravaging rice crops across Africa, leading to severe yield losses (10-100%) and threatening food security, especially as rice is a staple food replacing maize in many regions.
• Widespread Outbreak Confirmed: A recent genomic study (June 17, 2025) revealed the extensive outbreak of RYMV across African rice ecosystems, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
• Origin and Spread: The virus originated in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania from wild grasses in the 1800s. It has spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and even reported in Turkey, facilitated by insect and animal vectors (beetles, grasshoppers, cows, rats, donkeys), mechanical means, and crucially, human activity like seed movement, trade routes, and transport, exacerbated by weak biosecurity and unstable conditions.
• Highly Adaptive Virus: RYMV is a Sobemovirus known for its high genetic variability, allowing it to evolve rapidly and overcome potential resistance measures.
• Severe Symptoms: Infection causes visible damage like yellow streaks and mottling on leaves, stunted growth, poor grain formation, sterility, and potential plant death, directly impacting yield.
• Urgent Call to Action: The study and experts emphasize the critical need to strengthen biosecurity, invest in regional genomic surveillance to track the virus, and accelerate the development of disease-resistant rice varieties to combat the spread and protect future crops.

IAEA Iran Israel Nucl

• Context: US airstrikes targeted Iran’s underground nuclear facilities (Fordo, Natanz, Isfahan) using bunker busters.
• IAEA’s Immediate Response: Issued a statement confirming no off-site radiation leak post-attacks.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Continues to monitor the sites remotely.
• Planned Action: Plans verification inspections once safety permits.
• IAEA’s Core Role: Acts as a nuclear watchdog to prevent the military use of nuclear materials and verify facilities for peaceful use under the NPT.
• Relevance in Conflict: Its verification and safeguards function is crucial during tensions to ensure nuclear material is not diverted, especially in states like Iran subject to safeguards agreements.
• Limitations Highlighted: The situation potentially exposes the IAEA’s limitations, such as limited enforcement power (it can only report violations, not impose sanctions) and vulnerability to geopolitical pressures.
• Need for Improvement: The text suggests a need for stronger enforcement powers and improved crisis response mechanisms for the IAEA in conflict zones.

FRA Cells Setup for FRA

• Key Point: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned the setup of 324 district-level (and some State-level) Forest Rights Act (FRA) cells across 18 States/UTs.
  Why in News?: This is the first time the Union government is directly funding and establishing structural mechanisms to facilitate FRA implementation, which has historically been the responsibility of State governments.

• Key Point: These FRA cells are being established under the Central scheme ‘Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA)’ and are centrally funded by the Ministry via Grants-in-aid.
  Why in News?: The cells operate based on DAJGUA guidelines, not the statutory framework of the FRA Act, raising concerns about their legal standing and integration with the existing FRA structure.

• Key Point: The cells aim to assist tribal claimants and Gram Sabhas in preparing and submitting claims, improving documentation, facilitating field work, managing data, assisting with demarcation, and speeding up claim disposal, especially for pending cases.
  Why in News?: This indicates the government’s intent to address delays and rejections in FRA claims through dedicated support units.

• Key Point: Concerns are raised that creating these cells under a Central scheme, operating outside the FRA’s statutory structure (which involves Gram Sabhas, FRCs, SDLCs, DLCs), could lead to a parallel system, confusion about roles, and overlap with existing committees.
  Why in News?: This highlights a potential administrative and legal challenge to the decentralized, bottom-up framework mandated by the FRA, potentially hindering effective implementation rather than helping.

• Key Point: Critics argue these cells may not resolve fundamental issues like irregular meetings of statutory committees or delays by Forest Departments, which are major bottlenecks in FRA implementation.
  Why in News?: This points to the potential limitations of the new initiative in addressing the core structural challenges affecting FRA implementation on the ground.

Magna Carta Democracy

• Magna Carta signed in 1215: Established the principle that the king is not above the law, limiting arbitrary power, crucial for constitutional governance.
• Triggered by Barons’ Rebellion: Response to King John’s high taxes, military failures (loss of Normandy, Battle of Bouvines), and arbitrary rule, showing it was forced by discontent.
• Introduced Rule of Law: Despite initial limitations (protecting mainly elite men), it fundamentally placed the law above the ruler.
• Key Provisions (Clause 39 & 40): Guaranteed protection from arbitrary arrest/imprisonment and assured justice wouldn’t be sold, denied, or delayed, laying groundwork for rights like habeas corpus.
• Harvard University’s Rediscovery (1300 version): Sparked renewed discussion on its enduring impact and historical significance.
• Immediate Challenge & Reissuance: King John tried to annul it, but it was later confirmed and reissued by Henry III, showing its contentious but eventual acceptance.
• Legacy and Influence: Inspired concepts like habeas corpus and significantly influenced the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, serving as a symbol of resistance to tyranny and assertion of individual rights under law globally.
• Symbolic Importance Today: While its original scope was limited (not initially covering serfs or women and not fully democratic), its enduring power lies in its symbolism for the rule of law and human rights against oppressive power.

IPPB

• Key Point: India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) received the Digital Payments Award 2024-25 from the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
  Why: This recognizes its significant contribution to expanding digital payments and promoting financial inclusion across India.

• Key Point: IPPB secured the 1st rank among all payments banks in the Performance Index for FY 2024-25.
  Why: This highlights its strong digital banking performance and effective citizen-centric approach compared to peers.

• Key Point: IPPB utilizes the extensive postal network, including over 2 lakh Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks and ~1.65 lakh Post Offices.
  Why: This unique reach enables IPPB to deliver digital financial services, including doorstep banking, to remote and rural areas, effectively bridging the urban-rural banking divide and serving the unbanked/underbanked.

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• Key Point: IPPB leverages technology like India Stack for paperless, cashless, and presence-less banking.
  Why: This facilitates accessible, simple, and secure delivery of basic banking services like savings accounts, money transfers, and bill payments, supporting a cash-light economy.

• Key Point: IPPB’s efforts support the government’s vision.
  Why: By expanding digital access and financial literacy, IPPB contributes to the goal of a digitally empowered and financially included nation.

Pulse Self-Sufficiency

• Farmers are forced to sell pulses below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Why? Due to inadequate and inconsistent government procurement compared to rice and wheat, and market prices depressed by rising imports.
• India’s pulses imports hit a record high of 7.3 million tonnes in 2024-25. Why? Domestic production fell to 24.2 mt in 2023-24 due to an El Niño-induced drought, reversing earlier self-sufficiency gains, and import duties were lowered to curb retail inflation.
• Despite being the largest producer and consumer, India remains a significant importer of pulses. Why? Persistent challenges in domestic production prevent full self-reliance.
• Key reasons for low domestic pulses production include government policies favouring rice/wheat through inconsistent MSP procurement and subsidies on water/fertilizers. Why? This disincentivizes farmers from growing pulses.
• Pulses cultivation faces low productivity (average yield 660 kg/ha vs world 909 kg/ha). Why? Factors include dependence on rain-fed areas vulnerable to climate shocks, poor seed quality, lack of high-yielding varieties, slow R&D, fragmented landholdings, and vulnerability to pests/diseases.
• Achieving self-sufficiency requires strengthening MSP procurement, rebalancing subsidies away from water-intensive crops, boosting productivity with improved varieties and technology (irrigation, precision farming), enhancing storage and market linkages, and increasing R&D. Why? To incentivize farmers, improve yields, reduce post-harvest losses, and stabilize domestic supply and prices.

Nothopegia Leaf Fossils

• Fossilized leaves of Nothopegia, dated 24-23 million years ago, were discovered in Assam’s Makum Coalfield: Why? This represents the world’s oldest known fossil record of the Nothopegia genus and shows its past presence far from its current location.
• Nothopegia is currently found exclusively in the Western Ghats, India: Why? This significant geographic separation highlights the drastic changes in the plant’s distribution over millions of years.
• Researchers used techniques like morphological comparison, cluster analysis, and CLAMP: Why? These methods were essential for identifying the fossils and reconstructing the ancient climate of Northeast India.
• The ancient climate of Northeast India (late Oligocene) was warm and humid: Why? Climate analysis revealed this, explaining why tropical species like Nothopegia could thrive in the region in the past.
• The tectonic uplift of the Himalayas led to climate shifts in the Northeast: Why? Resulting changes in temperature, rainfall, and wind made the region inhospitable for Nothopegia, causing its extinction there.
• Nothopegia survived in the climatically stable Western Ghats: Why? This demonstrates how certain regions can serve as refuges, allowing species to persist while facing extinction in other areas due to climate change.
• The discovery provides insight into how ecosystems and biodiversity evolve under pressure: Why? It serves as a historical example of climate-driven species migration and extinction, relevant for understanding present and future impacts of environmental change.
• It highlights the importance of protecting biodiversity hotspots like the Western Ghats: Why? These regions act as crucial refuges for ancient plant lineages that have survived major environmental shifts.

51st G7 Summit

• The 51st G7 Summit, held in Kananaskis, Canada in 2025, was the annual meeting of the G7 advanced economies and the EU to coordinate policies on major global challenges, significant due to the members’ economic power representing 40% of the global economy.
• India’s Prime Minister attended as an outreach country, invited for the 12th time and sixth consecutive year, highlighting India’s increasing global relevance and engagement with key international forums despite not being a member.
• The President of the European Commission was invited to attend the Summit for the first time, indicating evolving participation dynamics.
• Key outcomes addressed pressing global issues: The Kananaskis Wildfire Charter committed to tackling wildfire threats through science and nature-based solutions, crucial as wildfire frequency increases.
• The G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan focused on diversifying supply chains and boosting investment in critical minerals, essential for modern technology and energy transition, a plan also endorsed by India.
• The summit also condemned Transnational Repression (TNR) and committed to specific actions to prevent migrant smuggling, addressing significant human rights, security, and humanitarian concerns.

11th Yoga Day 2025

• The 11th International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21, 2025, is in news as preparations gain momentum globally and nationally for its celebration.
• The theme for 2025 is ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’, emphasizing yoga’s contribution to universal well-being and global health.
• The main National Ceremony will be held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as Chief Guest, highlighting the event’s importance.
• Mass participation is planned across India, with simultaneous celebrations expected in over 1 lakh locations.
• Specific state-level events like ‘Yoga Sangam’ organized by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) Goa involving students, officials, and citizens, showcase localized promotion efforts.
• Supporting initiatives by AYUSH/AIIA, such as Harita Yoga at heritage sites, quizzes, and medical camps, are being conducted to build awareness and engagement.
• The day remains significant due to its UN declaration (proposed by India), global recognition by UNESCO and WHO for health benefits, and its role in promoting physical, mental, and spiritual health and global harmony.
• Celebrating on June 21st coincides with the Summer Solstice, holding traditional significance in yogic philosophy for spiritual transition.
• The celebrations underscore yoga’s origins as an ancient Indian tradition traced to the Indus Valley Civilization and Patanjali’s Yogasutra.

ECI EVM SOP

• ECI issued a revised SOP for checking EVMs based on Supreme Court directions.
• The Supreme Court (April 2023) rejected 100% VVPAT counting but allowed second and third-placed candidates to seek EVM verification.
• Concerns were raised (e.g., by ADR) about the previous SOP regarding data erasure and scrutiny of Symbol Loading Units (SLUs).
• The SC accepted ECI’s proposal for a revised SOP (May 2025) incorporating data preservation.
• New SOP Key Points:
  • Data from EVMs and SLUs under verification will be preserved, not deleted.
  • Candidates can opt for self-diagnostic test or self-test + mock poll for a fee.
  • Candidates can choose symbol loading source (already loaded or original SLUs) for mock polls.
  • Related records (VVPAT slips, video) are retained for 3 months.
• Why it’s significant: Strengthens transparency, empowers losing candidates with verification rights, addresses SLU tampering concerns, reflects judicial-ECI cooperation.
• Criticism: Some critics (like ADR) argue the process is similar to routine tests and doesn’t guarantee tamper-proof assurance or thorough independent verification.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

• The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a key international agreement from 1970 aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting peaceful nuclear energy, and pursuing disarmament.
• It is currently prominent in news due to tensions related to the Israel-Iran conflict and the potential for Iran to withdraw from the treaty.
• Iran is a signatory but has faced scrutiny; the IAEA’s Board recently stated Iran breached non-proliferation obligations regarding undeclared nuclear material/activities. Iran denies seeking weapons, claiming peaceful use.
• Potential Iranian withdrawal would end IAEA oversight and inspections, possibly allowing unrestricted nuclear development and increasing regional conflict risk, including pre-emptive strikes.
• Withdrawal could destabilize global non-proliferation norms, encourage a regional arms race (e.g., Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt), cause diplomatic polarization, and lead to Iran’s economic isolation and military vulnerability.
• The NPT recognizes five states as having nuclear weapons (US, Russia, UK, France, China) based on pre-1967 tests; non-members include India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea (which withdrew).
• The treaty structure recognizing only pre-1967 nuclear states and allowing withdrawal (with notice) has drawn criticism as potentially discriminatory.

India Core Sector

• India’s core sector growth slowed to a nine-month low of 0.7% in May 2025.
• Why: The primary drivers of the slowdown were contractions in electricity, fertilisers, natural gas, and crude oil output.
• Why: While sectors like steel, cement, coal, and refinery products showed growth, it was not enough to offset the declines in other key areas.
• Why: Economists attribute the reduced growth mainly to excessive rainfall and the early monsoon onset, which affected crucial activities like power generation and mining.
• Why this is news: The core sectors are foundational to India’s industrial growth, collectively accounting for about 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Why this is news: They serve as a leading indicator for economic activity and industrial performance, supplying essential inputs to other industries and significantly impacting GDP, inflation, and employment levels.
• Why this is news: Fluctuations in these sectors have a direct impact on the overall IIP, a key measure of industrial health.

UK Assisted Dying

• The UK Assisted Dying Bill has been approved by British lawmakers, legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales.
• Key provisions apply to mentally competent adults (18+) diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than six months.
• Requires approval from two doctors and a specialist panel, including medical, social, and legal experts.
• Patients must self-administer the life-ending medication.
• Includes safeguards such as independent advocates for the disabled and a disability advisory board.
• Participation is voluntary for medical professionals.
• The bill is news because it is a landmark legislative approval.
• It remains news due to being a deeply divisive issue, balancing choice against concerns over vulnerability and abuse.
• The Labour government has maintained a neutral stance, allowing MPs a conscience vote.
• Once enacted, the UK would join other countries like Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and several U.S. states in allowing assisted dying for terminally ill patients.

HAL First Full Rocket Tech

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) won ISRO’s bid for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) program with an offer of ₹511 crore. Why: This is how HAL secured the opportunity to acquire the technology, outbidding other major players.
• HAL has become the first Indian company to acquire complete technology and operational autonomy to build and operate a launch vehicle. Why: This signifies a historic transfer of full rocket technology ownership from ISRO, unlike previous collaborations.
• Over the next two years, ISRO will assist HAL in developing two prototype SSLVs; after this, HAL will independently manufacture, market, and launch SSLVs globally from August 2027. Why: This outlines the transition process and HAL’s eventual role as a fully autonomous commercial launch service provider.
• HAL targets launching satellites up to 500 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and aims to produce 6–12 SSLVs annually based on demand. Why: This focuses on the growing small satellite market and indicates the potential scale of HAL’s manufacturing operations.
• This is a major step towards privatizing India’s space sector and boosting the country’s share in the global launch market. Why: It shifts significant space launch activities from a government entity (ISRO) towards a more commercial model, aligning with national policy goals.
• The SSLV offers rapid deployment and low-cost launches, supporting India’s vision of a $44 billion space economy by 2033 and strengthening public-private partnerships. Why: These are the strategic and economic benefits the program is expected to deliver.
• HAL becomes India’s third rocket manufacturer, joining private firms Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos. Why: This expands the domestic capability and competition in rocket manufacturing.
• NSIL will conduct 15 SSLV launches and IN-SPACe two launches for Indian private payloads before HAL takes over commercial operations. Why: These government efforts ensure market activity and demand during the technology transfer phase.

MAID Warfare

• MAID (Missiles, AI, Drones) is a new warfare model seen in recent conflicts, fundamentally changing military strategy and accessibility of high-impact tools.
• Key features include low-cost drones (under $50k) compared to expensive traditional systems, lowering the barrier to entry for state and non-state actors.
• Remote operations allow strikes from great distances, reducing risk to personnel and making the use of force easier.
• AI enables high precision and rapid strike capability, allowing real-time targeting and potentially reducing collateral damage.
• Algorithmic speed of decision-making is faster than human response, risking rapid conflict escalation bypassing diplomacy.
• Psychological detachment from remote operations may lower the emotional barrier to lethal force use.
• Existing International Humanitarian Law does not adequately address AI-based or autonomous systems, creating a legal vacuum.
• The low cost and risk of MAID technologies erode traditional deterrence logic, making states more willing to use force without fear of high casualties or domestic backlash.
• International institutions like the UN struggle to regulate MAID, leading to unilateral actions and a lack of binding agreements on lethal autonomous weapons.
• Accountability for war crimes is difficult to assign when committed by autonomous systems, blurring the chain of command.
• Risks include uncontrolled escalation, governance failing to keep pace with technology, and the empowerment of non-state actors with advanced capabilities.
• MAID is a present danger requiring new global laws, ethical frameworks, and stronger multilateral institutions to prevent more frequent and harder-to-stop conflicts.

Cobra King

• A King Cobra brought from Karnataka’s Pilikula Biological Park to Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park as part of an animal exchange died, which is news because it was a key species in a reintroduction effort.
• The exchange involved trading two tigers for two king cobras, as Madhya Pradesh officials wanted to reintroduce the species that had vanished from the state.
• Officials believed bringing back the King Cobra, which preys on other snakes, could help control populations of other venomous snakes and potentially reduce snakebite deaths in the state.
• The death is notable as the snake was housed in a controlled environment, including temperature regulation, though the exact cause after the heat wave period is not specified.
• Following the death in Bhopal, only one King Cobra remains in Madhya Pradesh, located in Indore.
• The state had plans for ex-situ conservation and breeding programs with the arrived cobras.
• The King Cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake and is unique for building and guarding nests; its diet primarily consists of other snakes.
• The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected under CITES and India’s Wildlife Protection Act, highlighting the conservation significance of the reintroduction attempt.
• Van Vihar National Park, where the death occurred, is a rescue centre and conservation breeding centre for other species, located next to a significant Ramsar site.

Next-Gen Propulsion

• India relies heavily on imported engines for its defense systems (air, land, sea), creating strategic vulnerability. Why: Dependency affects military readiness and makes India susceptible to supply disruptions and geopolitical pressure.
• Past efforts to develop indigenous jet engines, like for the HF-24 Marut and the Kaveri project for LCA Tejas, largely failed. Why: These historical setbacks highlight the long-standing technical challenges and the persistent gap in achieving self-sufficient propulsion technology.
• Current defense programs, such as the LCA Mk1A, face delays due to issues with imported engine deliveries (e.g., GE F404). Why: This directly demonstrates how foreign supply chain issues impact India’s defense timelines and operational readiness.
• Future projects like the 5th-generation AMCA require advanced, powerful engines, and their success hinges on securing this technology. Why: Without developing or co-developing these critical components, India’s advanced defense capabilities remain dependent on external partners, risking delays.
• Building indigenous propulsion capability is crucial for national security. Why: It ensures sustained military readiness, reduces foreign dependency for critical systems, and strengthens India’s strategic autonomy against external shocks.
• Steps like the GE-HAL partnership to manufacture GE-414 engines in India are underway. Why: This represents an effort to bridge the gap by acquiring technology and manufacturing capability domestically, addressing the critical need for propulsion self-reliance.

India’s Critical Minerals

• Critical minerals (like Lithium, Cobalt, REEs) are vital for clean energy tech (solar, wind, EVs) and digital industries, crucial for India’s future growth and energy transition goals (GS Paper III – Economy).
• High global supply chain risks exist due to concentrated production (e.g., DRC for Cobalt, Indonesia for Nickel, China for REEs/processing), making imports precarious for India (GS Paper III – Economy, GS Paper I – Geography/Resources).
• China’s near-monopoly on processing grants it significant geopolitical leverage, posing a supply security threat India must address (GS Paper II/III – International Relations/Economy).
• India is largely import-dependent for many critical minerals despite potential domestic reserves, leaving its growth vulnerable to supply disruptions (GS Paper III – Economy, GS Paper I – Geography/Resources).
• Under-exploration, slow clearances, and lack of processing infrastructure hinder India’s ability to secure domestic supply chains (GS Paper I – Geography/Resources, GS Paper III – Economy/Infrastructure).
• The National Critical Mineral Mission aims to boost domestic exploration (GSI projects), secure international sources (KABIL), and build value chains to reduce import reliance and ensure strategic autonomy (GS Paper III – Economy/Policy, GS Paper I – Geography/Resources).
• Accelerating domestic exploration, reforming policies for ease of mining, investing in processing/recycling, and international collaboration are essential steps for India to secure its mineral needs and sustain growth (GS Paper I – Geography, GS Paper III – Economy/Policy).

PGI 2.0

• The Ministry of Education released the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report for 2022–23 and 2023–24, assessing states/UTs in school education. This is why it’s in the news.
• PGI 2.0 is an evidence-based framework by the Ministry of Education to assess state/UT school education through a structured, data-driven approach.
• Originally launched in 2017, PGI was revamped as PGI 2.0 in 2021 to align with NEP 2020 and SDGs.
• It assesses performance through 73 indicators across 2 categories and 6 domains, graded on a scale of 1,000 points into 10 levels (Daksh to Akanshi-3). Data comes from sources like NAS, UDISE+, and PM-POSHAN.
• Key findings for 2023–24:
  • Chandigarh topped with 703 points, followed by Punjab (631.1) and Delhi (623.7). Chandigarh maintained the top rank for 3 consecutive years.
  • No State/UT scored in the highest performance band (761–1,000 points).
  • Meghalaya ranked lowest (417.9), followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Bihar.
  • 25 out of 36 States/UTs improved their scores in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23.
  • A gap of over 300 points between the highest (719) and lowest (417) scores highlights wide disparities.
  • Bihar and Telangana showed the best improvement in the Access domain.
  • Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Telangana showed the highest gains in Infrastructure.
• The scores help states/UTs identify areas needing intervention to improve their school education system.
• PGI 2.0 results are not strictly comparable with previous PGI reports due to changes in grading and indicators.

SA Yuva Bal Puraskar 2025

• Sahitya Akademi announced the winners for its Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar for 2025 on June 18, 2025.
• Why in News: This announcement marks the selection of promising young writers and notable children’s literature authors for the year.
• 23 writers were selected for the Yuva Puraskar and 24 authors for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar.
• Awards were given across 24 Indian languages recognised by the Akademi.
• Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, instituted in 2011, is for young Indian writers (35 or below) for original literary works published within the last 5 years.
• Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, instituted in 2010, honours outstanding original children’s literature (for ages 9-16) published within the preceding 5 years.
• The awards include a cash prize of ₹50,000, an engraved copper plaque, and a citation (Bal Sahitya also includes a shawl).
• Selection was based on recommendations by language-specific juries, approved by the Akademi’s Executive Board.
• Notable winners include Advait Kottary (English, Yuva), Parvati Tirkey (Hindi, Yuva), Nitin Kushalappa MP (English, Bal Sahitya), and Sushil Shukla (Hindi, Bal Sahitya).
• The awards ceremony will be held later to present the prizes.

Revised Green India Mission

• The government released a revised roadmap for the Green India Mission (GIM), signalling an updated strategy for one of India’s key climate action programs.
• The revised mission now specifically focuses on ecological restoration in vulnerable regions like the Aravalli ranges, Western Ghats, Himalayas, and mangrove ecosystems, targeting critical biodiversity and climate-sensitive areas.
• It adopts a landscape-level, region-specific, and saturation approach for restoration, indicating a strategic shift towards tailored and thorough interventions in degraded areas.
• The revised GIM directly supports India’s national and international climate commitments, such as creating a carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ and restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
• Key interventions include syncing with the Aravalli Green Wall project (targeting 8 lakh hectares to combat desertification) and specific plans for other regions like addressing deforestation and mining impacts in the Western Ghats.
• The mission aims to sequester 1.89 billion tonnes of CO₂ by restoring 15 million hectares of open forests, providing a significant, specific target for enhancing carbon sinks.

Indus Decipher Conf

• Key Point: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is organizing a major international conference. Why: To focus specifically on the “Decipherment of Indus Script: Current Status and Way Forward.”
• Key Point: The conference aims to gather global scholars. Why: To discuss the challenging task of deciphering the undeciphered Indus script.
• Key Point: The Indus script dates back to 3300–1300 BCE and was used by the Harappan civilization. Why: Deciphering it would reveal significant information about this ancient civilization, currently unknown due to the script remaining a mystery for over a century.
• Key Point: The conference will assess current research and plan future directions. Why: To overcome significant challenges like short inscriptions, lack of bilingual texts, and an unknown underlying language that have prevented decipherment so far.
• Key Point: The event seeks to promote collaboration and support young scholars. Why: To inject new perspectives and momentum into a long-standing problem facing renewed global interest and recent potential breakthroughs (like possible links to Tamil Nadu finds).

Global Skin Health Priority

• First-time Recognition: The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) unanimously adopted a resolution on ‘Skin diseases as a global public health priority’. This is significant news because it marks the first time skin health has been elevated to a global priority by the WHA, shifting it from a cosmetic concern to a core public health, equity, and dignity issue.
• Massive Burden: Skin diseases affect an estimated 1.9 billion people worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This high prevalence is a key reason why the resolution is crucial news, highlighting a previously under-recognised global health burden.
• Global Action Plan: The resolution mandates the development of a Global Action Plan focusing on prevention, early detection, treatment, and strengthening environmental resilience against skin conditions by WHA-80 (2027). This future plan makes the resolution a pivotal news event as it sets the stage for concrete global initiatives.
• Integration into Primary Healthcare: The resolution urges the integration of skin disease care into primary health systems. This is news because it aims to improve access to care, especially in resource-limited settings where specialised dermatologists are scarce.
• Inclusive Research and Access: It promotes inclusive research, particularly for skin of colour and neglected diseases, and improved access to treatments and insurance coverage. This focus on equity and addressing historical neglect makes the resolution significant news.
• Addressing Stigma and Disparities: The resolution aims to address the significant stigma and socioeconomic burden associated with visible skin conditions. This focus on dignity and social equity underscores why this is news beyond just medical treatment.
• Implications for High-Burden Countries: For countries like India, with a high skin disease burden, the resolution provides a crucial opportunity to strengthen public dermatologic care, boost research, expand primary care training, and advocate for insurance coverage. This country-specific impact is important news.
• Advocacy and Collaboration: Led by countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Togo, and supported by international dermatology organisations, the resolution is news as it represents successful global advocacy and collaboration to bring attention to a neglected health area.

Green Hydrogen Mission

• National Green Hydrogen Mission Launched: India aims to produce 5 MMT of green hydrogen annually by 2030 with significant government investment (₹19,744 crore). This is a major national target for energy transition.
• Weak Export Demand is a Major Hurdle: Global policy uncertainties, delayed foreign incentives (like failed EU tenders), high production costs ($4-$5/kg vs $2.3-$2.5/kg for grey hydrogen), and complex logistics make Indian green hydrogen uncompetitive abroad currently. This slows project expansion.
• Focus Shifting to Building Domestic Demand: Due to weak exports, the government is prioritizing domestic use. This includes mandates for sectors like fertilizer and refineries, blending in existing supply chains, targeting niche industries (ceramics, glass), and using public procurement (green steel). Tenders are underway (e.g., SECI for 7 lakh tonnes) to ensure offtake.
• High Production Costs Make it Not Yet Commercially Viable: Green hydrogen is significantly more expensive than fossil-fuel-based grey hydrogen, meaning voluntary adoption is low. This high cost, along with nascent infrastructure and high financing costs, is a key challenge slowing momentum, similar to early stages of renewable energy.
• Government Implementing Measures to Support Mission: Actions include the SIGHT program for production/electrolyser manufacturing, developing a certification standard, and funding pilot projects across transport, shipping, and steel sectors (like hydrogen fuel cell buses) to test viability and build confidence.
• International Policy Landscape is Varied: While Europe is slowly moving with incentives and discussing FTAs for imports (ports like Rotterdam, Antwerp), the US focus is reportedly shifting towards blue hydrogen, adding to global uncertainty and making Indian exports less attractive there.

Arak Reactor

• Located near Tehran, the Arak Heavy Water Reactor was a global concern because it could produce weapons-grade plutonium, potentially enough for one nuclear bomb yearly.
• Under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), Iran agreed to redesign the reactor to prevent plutonium production. The original core was disabled and cemented.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified the reactor was inoperable as per the deal and monitored changes, important for non-proliferation verification.
• Recently (June 19, 2025), an Israeli airstrike damaged parts of the reactor and its heavy water plant. The ‘why’ was to prevent future weaponization, though the reactor wasn’t fueled and the IAEA confirmed no immediate radioactive risk.
• Concerns persist because Iran reportedly hasn’t fully completed the redesign, construction continues, and operation is possible by 2026, raising worries about potential renewed plutonium production capabilities.

India’s 3nm Chip Centres

• India’s first 3-nanometre (3nm) chip design centres launched in Noida and Bengaluru. Why: Positions India among a select group of nations capable of designing highly advanced chips crucial for cutting-edge computing, AI, and mobile technologies.
• Union Cabinet approved a display driver chip manufacturing unit in Jewar, UP. Why: This is the first semiconductor fabrication unit in UP and the 6th approved under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). It’s a ₹3,700 Cr joint venture (HCL/Foxconn) addressing a critical gap in India’s display/electronics value chain, aiming to meet about 40% of India’s capacity needs with production by 2027.
• 3nm chip technology is highlighted. Why: It incorporates more transistors than older nodes (5nm/7nm), leading to higher performance, improved energy efficiency, and lower heat generation, making it essential for advanced electronic devices.
• A new semiconductor learning kit was announced. Why: To strengthen practical hardware skills among engineering students in academic institutions already equipped with advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools via the ISM.
• Other initiatives like Chips to Startup (C2S), PLI scheme, Digital RISC-V (DIR-V), and Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) are mentioned. Why: These are part of India’s broader strategic effort under the ISM to develop a comprehensive domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

Denali

• A mountaineer from Kerala and their team became stranded on Mount Denali.
• The stranding occurred during their mission to display a banner honoring the armed forces for Operation Sindoor.
• Mount Denali is known for its severe weather and challenging steep vertical climbs, which contributes to the difficulty and risk of being stranded there.
• The mountain is significant as the highest peak in North America (6,190 meters).
• Mount Denali also has a notable history regarding its name, being formerly called Mount McKinley, renamed Denali in 2015, and scheduled to be restored to Mount McKinley in 2025 by the US President.

Revised GIM 2021-2030

• Core Purpose: Combats climate change and land degradation by increasing forest/tree cover and restoring ecosystems. Why: Part of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and global climate commitments (Paris Agreement, UNCCD).
• Key Objectives: Afforestation/restoration on 5M ha, improving forest quality on another 5M ha, combating land degradation, enhancing ecosystem services, and improving livelihoods. Why: Aims to increase India’s green cover, boost carbon sequestration, protect biodiversity, and support forest-dependent communities.
• Revised Focus Areas: Emphasizes ecologically sensitive regions like Aravallis, Western Ghats, Himalayas, and mangroves. Why: These areas are vulnerable to degradation and crucial for ecological balance; aligns with targeted projects like the Aravalli Green Wall.
• Implementation: Uses a landscape-based approach with community participation, traditional knowledge integration, and convergence with other schemes. Why: Ensures tailored, effective interventions and synergy across government efforts.
• Progress & Challenges: Plantations/afforestation covered 11.22 M ha (2015-2021); ₹624 crore released (2019-2024). Faces challenges like funding gaps, invasive species, and protecting old-growth forests. Why: Shows ongoing efforts but highlights hurdles needing attention for successful implementation.
• Climate Significance: Contributes to India’s target of 33% forest cover and creating an additional 2.5–3.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ carbon sink by 2030. Why: Essential for meeting national climate goals and international commitments, helping offset greenhouse gas emissions.

Trade Gap

• India’s trade deficit narrowed significantly in May 2025 to $6.62 billion, down from $9.35 billion in the same month last year.
• This narrowing was driven primarily by robust growth in services exports (up 9.4%), contributing a substantial $14.65 billion surplus in the services sector.
• Total imports also saw a slight decrease (down 1.02%), further helping to close the trade gap.
• Despite a small decline in merchandise exports, strong performance in key sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, supported by policy initiatives like the PLI scheme, helped overall export figures.
• The narrower deficit is viewed as a positive sign of India’s external sector resilience amid global economic challenges and volatility.

Governor’s Role

• Legislative Assent (Art. 200): Governor’s approval is mandatory for state bills to become law (as seen with Kerala’s private university plan). Why: It’s a constitutional check on state legislature, though indefinite delay is unconstitutional per SC rulings.
• Appointment of Chief Minister/Ministers (Art. 164): Governor appoints the head of the state government and cabinet. Why: Forms the executive, crucial for governance, especially discretionary in case of hung assembly.
• Head of State Executive (Art. 154): Nominal head; all executive actions are taken in their name. Why: Represents the state’s executive authority constitutionally.
• Discretionary Powers (Art. 163): Can act independently in certain situations, like reserving bills for the President or recommending President’s Rule. Why: Allows for judgment in specific circumstances, though case laws limit this power (Shamsher Singh, Nabam Rebia).
• Summoning/Proroguing Legislature (Art. 174): Controls legislative sessions. Why: Manages the functioning of the state assembly, though largely on CM’s advice.
• Link between Union and State: Appointed by the President, acts as a bridge. Why: Facilitates communication and ensures constitutional governance alignment.
• Role is Justiciable: Governor’s actions are subject to judicial review (Rameshwar Prasad case). Why: Prevents arbitrary use of power; ensures accountability.
• Bound by Aid and Advice: Must generally act on the advice of the Council of Ministers (Art. 163, Shamsher Singh). Why: Reinforces parliamentary democracy where elected government holds real power.
• Cannot Withhold Assent Indefinitely: Recent SC ruling reinforces this, addressing delays seen in states like Kerala. Why: Prevents Governors from stalling state governance unnecessarily and respects federalism.

India Census 2027

• Census 2027 Announced: The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the next Population Census for 2027, taking place in two phases (Oct 2026 & Mar 2027).
  • Why: Census is a decennial exercise mandated by the Census Act, 1948, conducted by RGI, providing comprehensive data on demography, socio-economic factors, etc.
• First Nationwide Caste Enumeration Since 1931: The upcoming census will include caste enumeration across the country.
  • Why: Captures crucial socio-cultural data, informing policies and understanding population characteristics.
• First Digital Census: Utilising mobile apps, online self-enumeration, real-time tracking, GPS tagging, and a new digital coding system.
  • Why: Aims to reduce errors, speed up data processing, ensure uniform entries, enable quality control, and improve coverage accuracy compared to previous manual methods.
• Significance for Governance & Society: Census data is foundational.
  • Why: It’s essential for delimitation of electoral constituencies (Article 82), reservation of seats for SC/STs (Articles 330 & 332), implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, allocation of government grants and resources, and evidence-based policymaking for planning and social justice.

NISHAD Rinderpest Facility

• ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, has been designated a Category A Rinderpest Holding Facility (RHF) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Why: This is a significant global recognition for securely storing materials of the eradicated, highly contagious cattle plague virus.
• India is now one of only six countries globally entrusted with securely holding Rinderpest Virus-Containing Material (RVCM). Why: It reinforces India’s pivotal role in global animal health, biosecurity, and leadership in preserving the rinderpest eradication legacy.
• Rinderpest was a deadly disease eradicated in 2011, but virus samples still exist in a few high-security labs. Why: Strict regulation by FAO/WOAH is essential to prevent accidental or intentional release and potential re-emergence of the disease.
• NIHSAD, a premier BSL-3 high-containment lab and national repository for RVCM since 2012, received the designation after a comprehensive international evaluation. Why: Its robust biosafety protocols, effective inventory management, and readiness for emergency situations met the stringent standards required for Category A status.
• The designation highlights India’s commitment to international standards of disease control and prevention. Why: As stated by Secretary Alka Upadhyaya, it is a testament to India’s responsibility and readiness in safeguarding global animal health.

Shipki Pass

• Shipki La Pass (3,930m) in Himachal Pradesh, along the India-China border, has been opened to domestic tourists. Why? To boost borderland economies, enhance strategic connectivity, promote cultural tourism, revitalize tourism and trade, and create local opportunities.
• It is a motorable pass where the Sutlej River enters India, historically serving as a vital Indo-Tibetan trade route since ancient times (5th/15th century onwards). Why? It marks a significant geographical and historical connection point.
• The historic trade route through Shipki La was closed after the 1962 Sino-India War, further impacted by events like Doklam and COVID-19, and remains shut for commercial exchange. Why? This explains the disruption of its historical function and the context for the tourism opening.
• Domestic tourists can now visit using just an Aadhaar card, removing the previously mandatory permit. Why? This simplifies access and has generated optimism locally.
• Communities on both sides have deep cultural and economic connections, including shared lifestyles, surnames, and a predominantly Buddhist heritage. Why? This highlights a bond beyond trade and suggests potential for diplomacy through development and heritage.
• Historically, diverse goods like wool, livestock, grains, spices, and tools were traded, influencing local culture and crafts. Why? Illustrates the depth and value of past exchange.
• Although overall land pass trade volume with China is small, opening Shipki La offers potential benefits like shortening the journey to Mansarovar (religious tourism), boosting local employment and economy, and serving as a soft diplomatic gesture for trust-building. Why? Explains the local enthusiasm despite the commercial trade route remaining closed.

3rd UN Ocean Conf

• Declaration Adopted: “Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action” was adopted. Why: Reinforces global commitments to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and aims to tackle the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution) threatening oceans.
• Strong Push for Binding Plastics Treaty: Indigenous leaders called for a legally binding treaty with justice at its core; supported by over 95 countries. Why: To regulate plastics from production to disposal, address environmental racism impacting frontline communities disproportionately, and combat severe plastic pollution.
• Strengthening Global Ocean Governance: Declaration urged full implementation of key agreements, including the BBNJ Agreement. Why: To improve conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
• Addressing Climate Change and Pollution: Called for enhanced global action to minimize climate impacts (like ocean acidification) and reduce marine pollution of all kinds. Why: To protect marine ecosystems from major threats and adapt to unavoidable climate effects.
• Emphasis on Inclusive Action: Highlighted the need for ocean action guided by scientific research, traditional knowledge, and Indigenous Peoples’ expertise, along with financial justice for grassroots communities. Why: To ensure effective, equitable, and sustainable management and protection of the ocean.

PM Modi in Cyprus

• PM Modi visited Cyprus, the first by an Indian PM in over two decades. Why: Signals strategy towards Turkey and strengthens outreach in the Eastern Mediterranean.
• PM Modi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III. Why: The country’s highest civilian honour, signifying strong bilateral ties.
• Cyprus is a strategically located EU member in the Eastern Mediterranean near Turkey and Syria. Why: Acts as a crucial bridge for trade, connectivity, and influences regional geopolitics.
• The visit counters the growing Turkey-Pakistan axis. Why: India’s ties with Turkey are strained due to Turkey’s Kashmir stance and alleged support for Pakistan, positioning Cyprus as a strategic partner against Turkish assertiveness.
• Cyprus is situated along the route of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Why: Important for smooth Indo-European trade and a key part of India’s connectivity initiatives.
• Cyprus will hold the EU Council presidency in 2026. Why: Can facilitate India’s strategic and economic relations with the European Union across various sectors.
• Cyprus is a significant economic partner and source of FDI for India, with an advanced financial sector. Why: Serves as a gateway for Indian businesses entering the European market.
• Cyprus is key in Eastern Mediterranean natural gas exploration. Why: Important for India’s energy diversification interests amidst regional tensions.
• Cyprus offers consistent political and diplomatic support to India. Why: Supports India’s UNSC bid, nuclear deals, and anti-terrorism stance, making it a dependable friend.

Croc Conservation @ 50

• India commemorates 50 years (1975-2025) of its Crocodile Conservation Project (CCP) on World Crocodile Day (June 17), marking a major ecological success.
• The CCP was launched in 1975 in Odisha, which became the epicentre and laid the foundation for scientific conservation efforts due to crocodile populations being on the brink of extinction.
• Odisha is uniquely significant as it’s the only Indian state hosting wild populations of all three native species: Gharial, Mugger, and Saltwater crocodile.
• Key project methods included “rear and release” programmes, establishing incubation and rearing centres (e.g., Tikarpada, Dangamal in Odisha), promoting captive breeding, creating protected habitats (like Bhitarkanika, Satkosia), and community awareness.
• Odisha pioneered many initiatives, including setting up India’s first centres, conservation breeding pools, releasing captive-reared individuals, and declaring protected habitats for crocodiles.
• The project led to significant population recovery: Gharials reached around 3,000 individuals (India holds nearly 80% of the global wild population), Saltwater crocodiles recovered to about 2,500 (with Bhitarkanika having the largest share), and Muggers are estimated at 8,000-10,000.
• Crocodiles, the largest surviving reptiles, face threats like habitat destruction, poaching, dam construction, and sand mining, making conservation crucial.
• Odisha continues to be a leader, hosting conservation centres for all three species and producing India’s first PhDs in crocodilian research. A new gharial project was recently announced, potentially building on Odisha’s success.

Nuclear Liability Act 2010 Reform

• India is considering easing the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 (CLNDA).
• Why: To reduce accident penalties on suppliers, addressing foreign firm concerns over unlimited liability.
• Goal: Revive stalled nuclear projects and advance India’s clean energy targets (500 GW non-fossil fuel by 2030).
• CLNDA 2010 ensures victim compensation, defines responsibility, aligns with international conventions (CSC 1997, Vienna 1963 principles).
• It imposes strict, no-fault operator liability (capped at Rs 1,500 crore). Government liability is also capped (approx. Rs 2,100-2,300 crore).
• Key Feature/Concern: Section 17(b) uniquely includes supplier liability for defective equipment/services, allowing operators recourse, unlike global norms which primarily hold operators liable.
• Why Concerned: Suppliers (foreign/domestic) fear unlimited liability due to Section 17(b), unclear rules, and risk of civil suits under Section 46.
• This unique liability framework deters foreign investment and slows nuclear power growth, hindering clean energy goals (e.g., delays in Jaitapur project).
• Potential Reforms: Amend Section 17(b) to limit supplier liability to intentional acts/gross negligence, expand insurance pools, sign bilateral agreements, offer financial incentives.
• Why Reforms Needed: To align with global norms, ease supplier fears, attract investment, and accelerate nuclear energy development while ensuring victim compensation and safety.

PM India Cyprus Historic

• India’s Prime Minister’s visit to Cyprus is the first by an Indian PM in 23 years, marking a significant step to bolster bilateral relations.
• Key focus areas include energy security, counterterrorism cooperation, and India-EU strategic alignment to strengthen ties.
• Cyprus’s consistent support for India on issues like UNSC bid, NSG membership, Kashmir, and terrorism is crucial as a strategic counterbalance to growing Turkey-Pakistan military ties and reinforces India’s global positions.
• Historic ties date back to 1962 diplomatic relations and shared history as NAM founders (Nehru & Makarios), providing a foundation for cooperation.
• India supports a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation for the Cyprus issue, aligning with UN resolutions and international law.
• The visit aims to add momentum, especially in trade and investment, as highlighted by the PM and his attendance at a business roundtable.
• Cyprus also recently expressed solidarity with India after the terror attack in Pahalgam, showing continued support.
• The visit occurred during regional geopolitical tensions (Israel-Iran conflict), impacting travel logistics and also sending a message to neighboring Turkey.

Census 2027

• India’s 16th Census is scheduled with House-listing in 2026 (March-September) and Population Enumeration in early 2027.
• It marks India’s first digital Census, using mobile apps, online self-enumeration, GPS tagging, and a new digital coding system for enhanced accuracy and faster data processing.
• A major political and social development is the collection of caste data for all communities, which was last done comprehensively in 1931.
• The Census is critical for governance, serving as the basis for policy-making, resource distribution, planning welfare schemes, delimitation of electoral constituencies (Articles 82, 330, 332), and allocation of Central grants to states.
• New data points will be captured, including internet access, smartphone ownership, access to drinking water source inside the dwelling, and an option for transgender identity.
• Involves training ~30 lakh enumerators and ~1.2 lakh supervisory staff, with significant focus on digital literacy and managing logistics across the country.
• The Census is conducted under the legal framework of the Census Act, 1948, providing vital socio-economic and demographic data reflecting national changes.

Bonn Climate 2025

• Held from June 16 to 26, 2025, in Bonn, Germany.
• Acts as the crucial mid-year preparatory meeting between COP29 (Baku, 2024) and COP30 (Belém, Brazil, 2025), laying technical groundwork.
• Purpose is to advance discussions on key issues before COP30, making agreement easier at the main summit.
• Focuses on finalizing indicators and moving from concept to implementation for the Global Goal on Adaptation.
• Works on creating a roadmap for mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate finance under the Baku-Belém Roadmap.
• Aims to finalize rules for UN-backed carbon markets (Article 6.4) and strengthen Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Includes discussions on the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake (from COP28), such as scaling up renewables and energy efficiency and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
• Provides a platform to evaluate progress on climate adaptation and resilience and keep the 1.5°C Paris goal within reach.
• Takes place amid challenges like geopolitical tensions but also signs of optimism from major economies regarding climate action, emphasizing that the 1.5°C target remains achievable.

Power Derivatives

• SEBI approved electricity derivatives on MCX. Why? To enhance electricity price risk management and support integrating renewable energy.
• These instruments allow Gencos, Discoms, and large consumers to trade on future output. Why? To hedge against power price fluctuations.
• Futures, options, and swaps will be available. Why? To enable hedging, ensure supply certainty, and improve demand forecasting, which is key for energy storage systems.
• The market will see boosted liquidity and participation from diverse players (hedgers, speculators, investors). Why? By separating financial settlement from physical delivery, deepening the short-term power market.
• The move supports India’s clean energy goals (500 GW non-fossil fuel by 2030, net-zero by 2070). Why? Effective risk management is crucial for the significant investment needed for this transition.
• Derivatives are contracts based on underlying assets like commodities (electricity output here). Why? This defines the financial instruments being launched.
• Specific types mentioned are futures (obligatory future transaction), options (right, not obligation), and swaps (exchange of cash flows). Why? These are the mechanisms players will use for risk management.

System Record

• Black boxes are in the news as they were recovered from the recent Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash site near Ahmedabad, and are crucial evidence for the investigation.
• They are crash-resistant devices (painted bright orange for visibility) located in the tail, consisting of a Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
• DFDR records flight data (speed, altitude, engine, etc.) for 25+ hours, while CVR records cockpit audio (conversations, sounds) for at least 2 hours (modern CVDRs store 25+ hours).
• Invented in 1954 and mandatory since 1960, their primary purpose is to provide data and audio recordings to help investigators determine the probable cause of aircraft accidents.
• They are designed to survive extreme impacts and fire, made of strong materials like steel or titanium.
• While crucial, they have limitations, such as potential signal issues (e.g., MH370) and lack of video recording.
• Recent advancements include automatic deployable recorders and combined Voice & Data Recorders (CVDRs).
• The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) uses black box data as key evidence to investigate accidents and incidents in Indian airspace, aiming solely for accident prevention.

Boko Haram Insurgency

• Boko Haram is in the news due to a recent deadly attack in Borno state, Nigeria, where militants linked to its JAS faction killed at least 57 people and abducted over 70. This highlights the group’s continued violence and threat to national security.
• The attack targeted civilians accused of collaborating with the rival ISWAP faction. This shows the internal conflict among militant groups and JAS’s shift towards terrorizing civilians for resources like ransom, as it lacks the capacity to attack military targets like ISWAP.
• The killings occurred amidst a surge in violence in Borno, including ISWAP attacks on military bases and roadside bombings. This indicates the deteriorating security situation despite government claims of progress against the insurgency.
• Years of insurgency have resulted in over 35,000 deaths and 2.6 million displaced people across four countries, primarily Nigeria. This statistic underscores the devastating humanitarian impact of the conflict and why it remains a major news story.
• Boko Haram, founded in 2002, opposes Western education and aims to establish an Islamic state, operating across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Its continued activity and expansion into central Nigeria highlight the enduring challenge it poses to regional stability.

DNA Identification

• Why in News: Used for victim identification after mass fatality events like the Air India crash where body remains were severely damaged.
• DNA Analysis Techniques: Scientific methods to examine genetic material for identification, relationship testing, or detecting traits. DNA profiling uses unique variations (0.1% of DNA) for identification.
• Gold Standard for DVI: DNA analysis is crucial for identifying individuals in mass disasters because it can work even with degraded remains, offering high accuracy.
• Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Analysis: Most common method examining repeating sequences in nuclear DNA. Why: Highly accurate for identity (15+ loci) but less reliable if DNA is severely degraded.
• Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Analysis: Used when nuclear DNA is degraded or absent, examining maternally inherited DNA. Why: Higher survival in degraded remains due to multiple copies per cell; matches maternal relatives.
• Y-Chromosome STR Analysis: Examines paternally inherited STRs on the Y chromosome. Why: Useful for identifying male victims by matching paternal relatives, even distant ones.
• Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Analysis: Used when DNA is highly degraded. Why: Identifies single base variations; less discriminatory but viable when other methods fail and limited reference material is available.
• Sample Collection and Storage: DNA starts degrading after death; timely collection and proper storage (cold, dry, ideally frozen or in ethanol) are vital. Why: Hard tissues (bones, teeth) preserve DNA better than soft tissues, making collection methods critical for successful analysis.
• Reference Samples: Comparison DNA samples are needed from biological relatives (parents, children ideal) or personal items for identification. Why: Victim DNA must be matched against a known sample to confirm identity.

FGD Units

• News: A committee of experts, chaired by the Principal Scientific Advisor, has recommended that India discontinue the policy of mandating Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) units in all coal-fired thermal power plants.
• Why News: This recommendation stems from concerns over the high installation cost of FGD units, approximately ₹1.2 crore per megawatt, which poses significant financial and logistical challenges given India’s large coal capacity. The government is reconsidering the mandatory policy due to these cost and feasibility issues.
• FGD Function: Flue Gas Desulphurisation units are systems designed to remove sulphur dioxide (SO₂), a harmful pollutant linked to respiratory problems and environmental damage, from the flue gases produced by burning fossil fuels in power plants.
• Context: While FGDs are important for reducing air pollution and meeting environmental standards, the substantial investment required is the key factor driving the potential shift away from mandatory nationwide implementation.

Rural Employment Guarantee

• The Finance Ministry has capped MGNREGA spending at 60% of the annual allocation for the first half of FY 2025-26, moving away from its demand-driven nature.
• Why (Government Justification): To prevent funds from being exhausted rapidly by mid-year, which has historically happened, and improve fiscal management to ensure funds last throughout the year and reduce large pending dues.
• Why (Concerns Raised): MGNREGA is a legal right to work (statutory guarantee of 100 days) and a crucial safety net.
• Why (Concerns Raised): Demand is not uniform and increases significantly during rural distress or weather crises, which the cap doesn’t account for, limiting the scheme’s buffer function.
• Why (Concerns Raised): Courts have held that financial limitations cannot override statutory entitlements; the cap could make it impossible to provide work once the limit is reached, potentially violating the legal right to work and timely wages (within 15 days of demand/work completion).
• Why (Concerns Raised): The cap, while addressing financial issues like pending dues, risks undermining the scheme’s core objective and legal basis by leading to denied work or payment delays.

DNA Study

• DNA analysis is used to identify victims of fatal accidents when visual identification is impossible, leveraging the uniqueness of individual DNA profiles.
• DNA is collected from human remains and compared with samples from biological relatives who share DNA.
• Sample collection needs to be done early as DNA degrades after death, especially in hot/humid conditions. Bone and tooth tissues preserve DNA better than soft tissues.
• Collected samples must be stored in cool/frozen conditions or in ethanol to slow degradation.
• Reference samples from close relatives like parents and children are ideal as they share 50% of the victim’s DNA.
• Different methods are used depending on the DNA quality:
  • Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Analysis: Highly accurate, used when nuclear DNA is well-preserved.
  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Analysis: Used for degraded nuclear DNA, identifies maternal lineage.
  • Y Chromosome Analysis: Used for degraded DNA, identifies paternal male lineage.
  • Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) Analysis: Used when DNA is highly degraded but is less accurate than STRs.
• These techniques are crucial for identification even when samples are degraded or only distant relatives are available for comparison along the maternal or paternal lines.

Iran vs Israel

• Recent Escalation: Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” attacks on Iranian nuclear/military sites (Tehran, Natanz, military bases) to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
  • Why: Israel views Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat and seeks to halt its progress towards atomic weapons.
• Iranian Retaliation: Iran responded with ballistic missiles under “Operation True Promise 3” targeting Israel (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv).
  • Why: Retaliation for Israel’s direct strikes on its territory and facilities.
• Reasons for Conflict (Root Causes):
  • Historical/Ideological: Deep hostility since the 1979 Iranian Revolution transformed Iran from an ally to an antagonist towards Israel, rooted in religious and ideological differences (Shia Islamic vs. Jewish state).
  • Proxy Wars: Iran supports anti-Israel groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, seen by Israel as direct threats, fueling conflict through proxies.
  • Geopolitical Rivalry: Struggle for regional dominance, clashing interests in conflicts like Syria and Yemen.
  • Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions: Israel fears Iran developing nuclear weapons and actively seeks to disrupt its program.
• Implications for India:
  • Energy Security: Instability threatens oil imports via the Strait of Hormuz, causing shortages, price hikes, and inflation.
  • Indian Diaspora: Large Indian population in the Middle East faces risks to safety.
  • Connectivity Projects: Projects like Chabahar Port and IMEC are vulnerable to disruption.
  • Diplomatic Challenge: India faces pressure to take sides, complicating its balanced relations with Israel, Iran, and Gulf nations.
• Possible Solutions Mentioned: Two-state solution (for Israel-Palestine context), direct dialogue, recommitting to JCPOA (nuclear deal), regional cooperation, normalising relations.
  • Why: Aims to de-escalate tensions, build trust, address root causes, and ensure long-term regional stability.

MGNREGS Cap Rationale

• Centre imposed a spending cap on MGNREGS for the first half of FY 2025-26, limiting usage to 60% of the total budget until September.
• This is a shift from the scheme being demand-driven and exempt from budgetary caps, now under Monthly/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP).
• Rationale for the cap is to address persistent financial troubles and unpaid dues.
• In past years, over 70% of the budget was spent by September, leading to supplementary funds needed by December, which still resulted in unpaid bills by year-end.
• Pending dues have ranged from ₹15,000 crore to ₹25,000 crore in the last 5 years, using up about 20% of the next year’s budget.
• The cap aims to ensure budget remains for the latter half, avoiding shortages and supplementary allocations.
• Disadvantages include ignoring fluctuating demand which spikes during drought/crop failure, restricting flexibility needed in crisis.
• Raising concerns about legal implications as MGNREGS is a statutory right under the 2005 Act, guaranteeing work and timely wages.
• Supreme Court rulings state financial constraints cannot override statutory or constitutional rights.
• Cap alters the scheme from a rights-based, demand-driven program to a supply-driven one based on fiscal convenience, potentially violating the Act and principles like Right to Livelihood.

India Aviation Security

• News: The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) cancelled the license of Celebi Aviation, a Turkish ground-handling firm operating at major Indian airports.
• Why: The cancellation was based on ‘national security concerns’. This followed Turkey’s perceived support for Pakistan after India’s Operation Sindoor, which was a response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
• BCAS Role: BCAS is the national regulator for civil aviation security under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, responsible for setting and enforcing security standards.
• Legal Basis: Under the Aircraft Rules, 1937 (framed under Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024) and Aircraft Security Rules, 2022, BCAS has the authority to suspend or cancel licenses for non-compliance or national security reasons.
• Impact on Celebi: The company faces significant operational setbacks across nine major airports where it provided services.
• Context for India’s Aviation Sector: India is the 3rd-largest domestic aviation market, rapidly growing, projected to be 3rd-largest globally by 2030, with significant economic contribution, infrastructure growth (more airports), and ongoing modernization efforts. Regulatory actions like this highlight the security focus within this crucial and expanding sector.

GFW 2024 India Forests

• Global Forest Watch (GFW) report highlights India’s forest trends from 2001-2024, significant as it’s a key independent assessment by WRI and University of Maryland.
• India lost 2.31 million hectares of tree cover (7.1% decline) between 2001 and 2024, a major environmental concern due to resulting 1.29 gigatonnes of CO₂ emissions.
• Natural forest loss in 2024 alone was 150,000 hectares, releasing 68 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, showing recent degradation continues.
• Primary forest loss increased slightly from 17,700 ha in 2023 to 18,200 ha in 2024, concerning as primary forests are mature, carbon-rich ecosystems.
• 348,000 hectares (5.4%) of humid primary forests were lost from 2002-2024, accounting for 15% of total tree cover loss, critical due to their high biodiversity and carbon storage value.
• Major drivers of forest loss include shifting cultivation and logging in the Northeast, mining in Central India, and infrastructure/tourism in the Western Ghats, indicating diverse pressures on different forest types.
• India gained 1.78 million hectares of tree cover between 2000 and 2020, showing some areas are recovering or being reforested, though net loss remains high.
• Globally, India ranked second in deforestation between 2015-2020 (FAO data), underscoring the scale of the challenge.

PM Visits Cyprus

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit marks a significant step in revitalizing India-Cyprus relations after more than two decades to deepen cooperation.
• The visit aimed to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, technology, and security, covering strategic sectors.
• PM Modi met with President Nikos Christodoulides to strengthen bilateral ties.
• A Business Roundtable led to proposals for long-term economic collaboration between the two nations.
• The visit is strategically important given Cyprus’s upcoming EU Council presidency in 2026 and regional geopolitical shifts.
• Key cooperation areas include boosting trade and investment, using Cyprus as a gateway to Europe, collaborating on technology, and enhancing security ties against terrorism.
• Cyprus provides consistent international support for India on issues like Kashmir and UN reforms.
• Cyprus holds strategic importance for India’s outreach to Europe and initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) due to its location and EU membership.
• Leaders reaffirmed commitment to concluding the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
• The visit signals a new phase of strategic, economic, and diplomatic collaboration for sustained engagement.

Maritime Accident Regulation

• Recent accidents off Kerala’s coast highlight concerns about maritime accident regulation and liability. Why: These incidents make the topic timely and demonstrate the practical impact of current regulations.
• Global shipping is mainly regulated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) through conventions. Why: IMO establishes international standards for safety, pollution, and liability.
• Member states, including India, adopt IMO conventions into domestic law. Why: This translates international rules into national legal frameworks.
• India has not ratified key conventions like the HNS Convention (Hazardous and Noxious Substances). Why: This limits India’s ability to claim compensation for specific types of environmental damage caused by such substances, as seen with the MSC ELSA 3 sinking.
• Ships often use Flags of Convenience (FOC) by registering in nations like Liberia for easier operation and less scrutiny. Why: This complicates tracking ship ownership and enforcement, despite vessels being governed by IMO norms.
• Ship owners are liable for loss of cargo and environmental damage. Why: Establishes primary responsibility for accident consequences.
• Liability is typically covered by P&I Clubs (insurer groups). Why: Provides a financial mechanism for covering claims against owners.
• While cargo loss liability is capped by conventions, compensation for environmental damage (like pollution) is often uncapped under the “polluter pays” principle (e.g., MARPOL). Why: Allows for potentially extensive claims to cover cleanup and impact costs.
• Ship owners are responsible for salvaging sunken vessels under the Nairobi Convention, which India is a signatory to. Why: Defines who must remove wrecks within a nation’s waters.
• Accidents occur due to complex factors, including human error and sea conditions, despite regulations. Why: Shows that regulations are necessary but cannot entirely prevent incidents.
• The industry learns from accidents, leading to revised IMO guidelines and conventions. Why: Ensures regulations evolve based on real-world experience to improve safety.

AI Bio Manuf

• India is actively integrating AI into biotechnology/biomanufacturing (Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Context: India emerging player) because it aims to become a global leader in this ethical, AI-driven innovation (Decoding Context: BioE3, IndiaAI Mission goals).
• AI is crucial for enhancing drug discovery, optimizing production, and improving quality control in biomanufacturing (Key Highlights: AI’s Role) because firms are using it to reduce costs and speed up innovation (Key Highlights: Biocon, Strand Life Sciences examples).
• Regulatory gaps and fragmented policies are major challenges (Decoding Context: regulatory gaps) because they lack clarity on data, ownership, and licensing, which can hinder innovation or cause legal issues (Key Highlights: Regulatory Challenges).
• Data diversity and risk-based regulation are needed (Key Highlights: Data Diversity) because AI models must be trained on diverse datasets relevant to India’s varied conditions for safety and relevance (Key Highlights: Need for Data Diversity).
• Developing clear data standards and supportive frameworks is essential (Key Highlights: Future Opportunities) because it will accelerate drug development and allow India to remain globally competitive (Key Highlights: Future Opportunities).
• India’s success depends on robust, harmonized policies (Conclusion) because these are necessary to promote innovation while ensuring safety, public trust, and high data quality (Conclusion).
• Biomanufacturing is a key part of India’s bioeconomy and national policies (Learning Corner, BioE3 Policy) because it aligns with economic growth, environmental goals (green production), and employment generation (Learning Corner: BioE3 Objectives).

Eurasian Otter in Kashmir

• The sighting of the Eurasian Otter (locally ‘Vuder’) in Kashmir is news because it hadn’t been spotted in the region for 25-30 years and was thought to be locally extinct due to increased water pollution and hunting.
• Its presence was confirmed by wildlife officials through villager videos, photographic evidence, and CCTV surveillance after initial reports.
• Historically, the otter was abundant in Kashmir’s water bodies (Dachigam, Dal tributaries, Lidder river) and is a keystone species, meaning its presence is an indicator of clean water and healthy aquatic biodiversity.
• This is the third reported sighting in the Valley this year, suggesting a potential return or re-establishment of the species.
• Wildlife officials see the sighting as encouraging and believe it could help restore Kashmir’s aquatic ecology.
• The Eurasian Otter is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN and is protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act (Schedule II) and CITES (Appendix I), highlighting its vulnerability.

India, Gender Gap 25

• Context: The 19th Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by WEF released, measuring gender parity across 148 countries in 4 dimensions: Economic, Education, Health, Political.
• Global Snapshot: Global gender gap closed to 68.8%, strongest annual gain since COVID-19. Iceland leads globally (92.6%). Gaps remain largest in Political Empowerment (22.9%) and Economic Participation (61.0%).
• India’s Performance (GS2): India ranks 131 out of 148, slipping two places from 2024. Parity score is 64.1%. Overall score slightly improved (+0.3), but rank dropped due to decline in Political Empowerment.
• Why India Performs Poorly (GS1, GS2):
  • Economic (GS1): Low female labour force participation (45.9%) and limited leadership roles; significant income disparity (women earn only 29.9% of male income). Social norms and patriarchy hinder economic access.
  • Political (GS2): Parliamentary representation dropped (13.8%) and ministerial roles low (5.6%). Delay in implementing the Women’s Reservation Act till 2029 impacts political parity score.
  • Societal (GS1): Deep-rooted social norms, patriarchy, and safety concerns restrict women’s full participation.
• Significance (GS2): The index acts as a crucial policy diagnostic tool, highlighting areas needing urgent intervention (like political representation and economic parity in India) and enabling benchmarking.
• Way Forward (GS2): Proactive implementation of Women’s Reservation Act, investing in skills and entrepreneurship, enforcing equal pay, addressing social norms, and improving access to services are key to achieving real parity on the ground.

Meliponini

• Researchers in Nagaland found native stingless bees (Tetragonula iridipennis, Lepidotrigona arcifera) are safe and effective. Why: They boost crop yields as pollinators and produce medicinal honey ideal for Northeast India.
• They are considered safer than traditional honeybees, making them a good alternative.
• Stingless bees are small, eusocial insects found in tropical/subtropical regions, belonging to the tribe Meliponini.
• Key features include small size, dark body with yellow markings, two pairs of wings, and an oval face with a pointed chin.
• They nest in various locations like tree trunks or wall cavities using resin, mud, and wax for their nests which contain honey pots.
• Their diet consists of nectar and pollen; some species also feed on rotting fruits.
• While lacking functional stingers, they defend themselves by biting with mandibles; some can inject venom through bites.
• Stingless bees are important buzz pollinators, crucial for tropical crops and ecosystem health.

NE 2025

• The 17th edition of the India-Mongolia joint military exercise “Nomadic Elephant” concluded on June 13, 2025, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
  • Why: Marks the successful completion of a key annual bilateral defence engagement.
• Indian Army contingent (45 personnel, mainly from Arunachal Scouts) and Mongolian Armed Forces participated.
  • Why: Demonstrates active military cooperation and mutual commitment.
• The exercise focused on enhancing interoperability in semi-conventional operations under a UN mandate in semi-urban and mountainous terrain.
  • Why: Prepares both forces for joint participation in multinational peacekeeping missions and counter-insurgency/terrorism operations in challenging environments.
• Key activities included counter-insurgency/terrorism operations, shooting, room intervention, small team tactics, rock craft, and cyber warfare modules.
  • Why: Enhanced practical skills and tactical coordination between the contingents.
• Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh attended the closing ceremony.
  • Why: Highlights the high-level importance placed on the exercise and the bilateral defence relationship by India.
• The exercise strengthens bilateral defence cooperation, trust, and reinforces shared interests in regional stability and international peacekeeping.
  • Why: Deepens the strategic partnership and enduring bond of friendship between India and Mongolia, while enhancing the Indian Army’s readiness for multinational roles and reinforcing India’s role as a responsible stakeholder in global peacekeeping efforts.
• It contributes significantly to India’s expanding defence diplomacy.
  • Why: Underscores the strategic importance of India’s partnership with Mongolia and its engagement in regional security initiatives.

Cardamom Snail Pest

• Snail infestation is threatening cardamom crops in Idukki, Kerala.
  • Why: This is significant because Idukki is a major cardamom producing region in India, and an infestation directly impacts local farmers’ livelihoods and the overall spice supply.
• The infestation is linked to recent heavy summer rains.
  • Why: This highlights a potential climate-related challenge impacting agricultural vulnerability.
• Snails feed on new panicles, flowers, and young capsules.
  • Why: This explains the mechanism of damage, showing how the infestation directly leads to reduced yield and quality of the spice.
• Farmers are resorting to chemical sprays like metaldehyde.
  • Why: This indicates the severity of the problem (requiring chemical intervention) and raises potential environmental or health concerns related to pesticide use.
• Cardamom is a valuable crop, known as the “Queen of Spices,” native to the Western Ghats.
  • Why: Provides context on the importance and origin of the crop being affected.
• India is a major global spice producer and exporter, with cardamom being one of the cultivated varieties.
  • Why: Places the local issue within the larger national and international spice market context, showing the potential broader economic impact.

Trust-Based Reg

• News Context: The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (effective Aug 2023) and proposed Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0 (Union Budget 2025–26) replace criminal penalties with fines for minor offences across many Central Acts, marking a shift towards Trust-Based Regulation.
• What it is: A governance approach assuming good faith compliance from individuals and businesses, focusing on reducing unnecessary legal burdens and promoting voluntary compliance, rather than treating them as potential offenders.
• Shift in Approach: Moves from a policing/punitive mindset (strict penalties for minor lapses) to a partnership/reformative model (encouraging compliance, reserving strict action for serious violations).
• Key Features: Involves decriminalizing minor offences, implementing risk-based enforcement, simplifying compliance, encouraging self-declaration, and reducing unnecessary government interference/harassment.
• Why in News/Needed in India:
  • Replaces colonial-era punitive laws that fostered fear and rent-seeking.
  • Enhances Ease of Doing Business by simplifying regulations and compliance, especially for MSMEs.
  • Helps decongest the judiciary by diverting minor cases from criminal courts.
  • Reduces corruption and harassment by officials seeking rent from procedural lapses.
  • Boosts economic growth by reducing the fear of criminal charges for unintentional non-compliance.
  • Aligns with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’.
• Implementation: The Jan Vishwas Act decriminalizes 183 provisions across 42 Acts, with Jan Vishwas 2.0 planning to decriminalise 100+ more. States and municipalities are urged to adopt similar reforms.

Deep Sea Exploration

• About 99.999% of the Earth’s deep seafloor (>200m depth) remains visually unexplored, highlighting the vast unknown area covering two-thirds of the planet.
• Exploration is concentrated among just 5 countries (US, Japan, New Zealand, France, Germany) and biased towards features like ridges and canyons, leaving vast abyssal plains under-studied. Why: Shows uneven global research efforts and potentially missed discoveries in less-explored areas.
• The deep ocean environment is harsh (no sunlight, cold 4°C, extreme pressure) but life thrives, sustained by ‘marine snow’ (falling organic matter). Why: Demonstrates life’s adaptability and the critical role of marine snow in sustaining ecosystems and aiding carbon sequestration for climate regulation.
• The mesopelagic zone (200–1,000m) hosts about 90% of global fish biomass. Why: Indicates the ecological importance of even the upper deep ocean layers.
• Deep ocean exploration is vital for potential resources (energy, polymetallic nodules, new antibiotics) and understanding/mitigating climate change. Why: These are significant benefits driving exploration efforts.
• India launched the Deep Ocean Mission in 2021 to explore and sustainably harness deep-sea resources. Why: Represents a national commitment to participating in deep-sea research and resource assessment.

AI in Agriculture

• India’s agriculture is undergoing a significant shift by integrating AI and digital technologies to improve efficiency and address challenges.
• The CROPIC initiative by the government exemplifies using AI for real-time crop monitoring and photo analysis to assess health and losses, aiding insurance and policy. (Why: A concrete government step leveraging technology for critical agricultural processes).
• AI applications like precision farming optimize resource use (water, fertilizers), reducing costs and environmental impact. (Why: Improves sustainability and economic viability for farmers).
• AI-driven weather forecasts and yield predictions help farmers and policymakers plan sowing, harvesting, procurement, and supply chains. (Why: Enables better planning and reduces uncertainty).
• AI tools identify pests and diseases early via image recognition, preventing widespread losses. (Why: Protects crops and ensures yield security).
• AI-powered advisory services provide customized, language-specific guidance, benefiting small and illiterate farmers. (Why: Enhances knowledge dissemination and decision-making for a large farmer base).
• AI automates crop loss assessment for insurance claims using photo analysis, aiming for faster and fairer settlements compared to subjective methods. (Why: Streamlines critical farmer support mechanisms).
• However, challenges like the digital divide, poor data quality, high costs, and inadequate infrastructure hinder widespread AI adoption among farmers. (Why: Limits the benefits of technology to a large segment of the farming population).
• Ensuring inclusive AI usage requires improved rural connectivity, developing localized models, farmer training, and robust data privacy frameworks. (Why: Necessary steps to make AI an equitable tool benefiting all farmers).

India BFSI Revamp

• Fragmented Regulatory Framework: Challenges arise from multiple regulators (RBI, SEBI, IRDAI) leading to overlapping jurisdictions, gaps, and inconsistencies. Why? This causes compliance complexities and operational inefficiencies.
• Underdeveloped Corporate Bond Market: It’s shallow, illiquid, and opaque. Why? This keeps the cost of capital high, hindering business viability and economic growth.
• Opacity in Ownership and UBO Disclosure: Current rules allow investors to avoid revealing Ultimate Beneficial Owners. Why? This hinders transparency, makes tracing control difficult, and weakens enforcement, eroding investor trust.
• Unregulated Shadow Banking: Entities like NBFCs, margin lenders, and brokers offer banking-like services without comprehensive oversight. Why? Poses a significant financial stability threat and involves opaque practices.
• Weak Insurance Penetration: Coverage is low (4.2% of GDP). Why? Indicates underutilization of insurance as a financial safety net.
• Non-Performing Assets (NPAs): High levels, especially in public sector banks. Why? Constrains lending capacity and affects system efficiency and stability.
• Need for Deep Bond Market Development: India’s bond market is small (18-20% of GDP) compared to peers. Why? Strengthening it lowers borrowing costs and improves access to long-term capital, supporting growth.
• Call for Integrated Financial Regulation: Harmonisation across regulators is needed. Why? To address oversight gaps, inconsistencies, and improve efficiency.
• Strengthening KYC and UBO Norms: Requires accurate data and strict enforcement. Why? To curb misuse, enhance transparency, and build investor trust.

Keezhadi Digs

• Excavations at Keezhadi, Tamil Nadu reveal an advanced urban civilization dating to at least 6th century BCE with findings like literacy (graffiti resembling Indus script) and planned structures, significant as it indicates early urbanisation in South India and potential links to the Indus Valley, challenging earlier beliefs.
• The archaeological report by lead archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna, dating the site to 8th-3rd century BCE, was returned by the ASI for revisions, asking for a later date (pre-300 BCE maximum), why? because the ASI cited a lack of scientific rigor and asked for more evidence.
• Ramakrishna has refused to revise his report, why? asserting its scientific validity based on existing data.
• Tamil Nadu leaders and scholars allege political interference by the central government, why? accusing them of trying to suppress evidence of Tamil civilization’s antiquity and independence because it challenges dominant Hindutva historical narratives.
• Allegations of stalling tactics include the transfer of Ramakrishna, delays in funding/approval, and delay in report processing, why? to allegedly hinder the recognition of the findings.
• Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin states the Centre is undermining Tamil heritage and that the truth doesn’t serve their “script”, why? implying a political motive to control historical narratives.
• Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat denies political motives, why? stating the report needs more scientific validation and cautioning against using findings for “regional sentiments”.
• Tamil academics point to a potential double standard, why? arguing less scrutiny is applied to reports from sites like Ayodhya and Mathura, suggesting bias.

Fiscal Federalism

• Fiscal Federalism: System in India dividing financial powers/responsibilities between Union and States, grounded in the Constitution.
• Karnataka’s Grievance: Despite significant contribution (8.7% GDP, 2nd in GST), the state receives only 15 paise per rupee contributed to Union taxes, indicating inadequate fiscal returns.
• Reduced Devolution Share: Karnataka’s share of central taxes (vertical devolution) dropped from 4.71% to 3.64% under the 15th Finance Commission, resulting in a substantial loss of over ₹80,000 crore.
• Declining Per Capita Share: The state’s per capita devolution decreased significantly relative to the national average between the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions (95% to 73%).
• Demand for Increased Vertical Devolution: Karnataka proposes raising the share of taxes devolved to states from the Centre to at least 50% (from the 15th FC’s recommendation of 41% for all states).
• Cesses and Surcharges: Calls for capping these unshared taxes at 5% and including any excess amounts, along with Union non-tax revenues, in the divisible pool to be shared with states.
• Reforms in Grants and Allocation: Suggests limiting unpredictable discretionary grants (e.g., to 0.3% of total devolution) and adjusting the horizontal devolution formula to give more weight to states’ economic contribution while maintaining equity for less-developed states.
• Bengaluru Infrastructure Funding: Specific request for ₹1.15 lakh crore investment in Bengaluru’s infrastructure, citing its importance to the state and national economy.
• Why in News: Karnataka’s Chief Minister raised these issues with the Finance Commission, arguing that current devolution system is unfair to high-performing states and needs reforms for fairness, predictability, and to sustain state economies vital for national progress.

RBI Gold Loan Guidelines

• Higher LTV: Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio increased to 85% for loans up to ₹2.5 lakh. Why: Benefits NBFCs focused on small loans by allowing greater lending against gold value.
• Bullet Loan LTV Calculation: LTV for bullet loans must include accrued interest. Why: Stricter computation, but higher LTV helps mitigate its impact.
• Increased Risk Management Focus: Higher LTV increases exposure to gold price volatility. Why: Necessitates robust risk practices and timely auctions for LTV breaches.
• No Additional Provisioning: Proposed 1% extra provisioning for LTV breaches is dropped. Why: Reduces potential capital burden, but NBFCs must define clear policies for LTV breaches and auctions.
• Uniform Rules and Timeline: Rules apply to all regulated lenders from April 1, 2026. Why: Ensures regulatory consistency and provides time for NBFCs to adapt.
• Growth Driver: The framework provides lending flexibility and clarity. Why: Supports growth for NBFCs but intensifies market competition.

Emergency 50 Years

• The news highlights the 50th anniversary of the declaration of a National Emergency in India on June 25, 1975, which lasted until March 1977.
• Why in news: The 50-year mark of this significant event in India’s democratic history.
• Why it happened: The declaration followed the Allahabad High Court’s verdict on June 12, 1975, in the Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Shri Raj Narain Case, which invalidated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s 1971 election.
• The court found her guilty of misusing government machinery for campaigning, leading to her disqualification and subsequent political turmoil that preceded the Emergency declaration.
• The Emergency resulted in the suspension of civil liberties, press censorship, and postponement of elections.
• Key facts covered include National Emergency being proclaimed under Article 352 on grounds like war or armed rebellion.
• Amendments modified rules on grounds (44th replaced “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion”), parliamentary approval (special majority within 1 month by 44th), duration (extendable every 6 months), and judicial review (initially barred, restored by 44th).
• Implications included the Centre exercising greater control over states (executive directions, Parliament making laws on state subjects) and potential extension of legislative terms.
• Fundamental Rights were curtailed, with Article 19 automatically suspended in external emergency (Art 358) and others suspendable by Presidential order (Art 359), except Articles 20 and 21.

India Fertility Rights

• UNFPA Report 2025 highlights the real crisis in fertility is unmet reproductive aspirations, not just declining numbers, because many cannot have the children they want or avoid unwanted pregnancies.
• India’s TFR has declined significantly (from 2.9 to 2.0), indicating population stabilisation but masking persistent state-level variations (e.g., Bihar vs Kerala) and shifting demographic challenges.
• Despite declining TFR, over one-third of Indians faced unintended pregnancies and over one-third were unable to have children when desired, showing a dual challenge of over- and under-achieved fertility.
• Reproductive rights, including access to contraception, safe abortion, healthcare, and freedom from coercion, are crucial because they enable individuals to make informed choices about their bodies and families.
• Significant issues in India include a high stigma around infertility and expensive, unregulated treatment options, making desired parenthood inaccessible for many.
• Contraception use is skewed towards female sterilization (66%), with low uptake of reversible methods due to myths and gender bias, limiting women’s control over spacing and number of children.
• Women face a gendered burden of domestic work and lack support for planning a second child, especially among educated working women, hindering reproductive autonomy and well-being.
• Workplace constraints like lack of paid parental leave, childcare, and discrimination, particularly in the informal sector, penalise women for childbearing.
• Judicial pronouncements (Suchita Srivastava, Puttaswamy, X v. Principal Secretary Health) recognise reproductive choices and privacy as fundamental rights, underscoring the legal basis for reproductive autonomy.
• The way forward requires shifting from population control to a rights-based reproductive justice approach, integrating fertility, contraception, and maternal care into public health and addressing social barriers like stigma and gender inequality.

Biggest Israel Attack Iran

• Key Point: Israel launched its largest-ever military operation targeting key Iranian nuclear and military facilities inside Iran.
  • Why: Prime Minister Netanyahu described it as a “pre-emptive action” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a primary concern for Israel.
• Key Point: Major sites struck included the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, missile bases, and research centers across various cities like Isfahan, Tehran, and Tabriz.
  • Why: These locations are central to Iran’s nuclear program and military capabilities, which Israel perceives as direct threats.
• Key Point: The attack followed a critical IAEA resolution against Iran for non-compliance with nuclear safeguards and killed several top Iranian officials.
  • Why: The resolution highlighted ongoing concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities, providing immediate context for heightened tensions and potential military action. The killing of officials suggests targeting of leadership linked to these programs.
• Key Point: This marks a significant escalation in the long-standing Israel-Iran conflict, shifting towards direct military engagement inside each other’s territory.
  • Why: The conflict is rooted in deep ideological rivalry, Iran’s support for anti-Israel proxies (like Hezbollah, Hamas), and its nuclear program. Recent years saw increased direct strikes, and this operation represents a major step up from previous shadow warfare.
• Key Point: The attack has critical implications for regional stability and ongoing international nuclear negotiations.
  • Why: It directly confronts Iran’s strategic assets and increases the risk of wider conflict or retaliation, potentially derailing diplomatic efforts related to Iran’s nuclear program (like the JCPOA).

IREDA Bags Excellent

• IREDA received an ‘Excellent’ rating from the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).
  • Why: For its exceptional performance in the Power and NBFC sectors during FY 2023-24.
• This is the fourth consecutive year IREDA has achieved the ‘Excellent’ rating.
  • Why: Consistent strong performance against annual targets set by the DPE.
• The rating highlights IREDA’s leadership in its field.
  • Why: It signifies IREDA’s prominent role in green financing and its commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions in India.
• DPE ratings are based on annual performance assessments of CPSEs.
  • Why: To evaluate parameters like profitability and efficiency against MoU targets, ensuring accountability and transparency across public sector companies.
• IREDA is India’s largest green financing NBFC.
  • Why: Its core mandate since 1987 as a Navratna PSE under MNRE is dedicated to promoting, developing, and financing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

Urban Transit Challenge

• Urbanisation is central to India’s Viksit Bharat by 2047 vision. Why? Over 60% of the population expected in cities by 2060s requires sustainable and efficient urban mobility for economic productivity and inclusive growth.
• Demand for urban transit is rapidly increasing. Why? Rapid population inflow, growing distance between housing/jobs, and unplanned sprawl strain existing systems and necessitate more/better options.
• Government initiatives like PM e-Bus Sewa and PM e-Drive aim to boost electrification. Why? To introduce mass, clean mobility solutions in expanding urban areas, a step towards sustainable transport.
• India faces a significant urban bus shortfall (35,000 vs 2,00,000 needed). Why? Undermines efforts to provide adequate public transport capacity for mass transit needs.
• Metro expansion projects have seen large investments but often struggle with low ridership and financial sustainability. Why? Due to poor last-mile connectivity, high fares, lack of integration, and high operating costs, questioning their sole sufficiency.
• Alternative modes like trams and trolleybuses are being overlooked. Why? Life cycle analysis suggests trams are financially viable (45% profitable over 70 years), and trolleybuses outperform e-buses in long-term cost efficiency, offering potentially more sustainable options.
• Despite current focus, e-buses show high long-term net losses (82%). Why? High maintenance, battery replacement, and energy costs challenge their cost-effectiveness over extended periods.
• Cities like Kochi and Kolkata are exploring/maintaining older tram systems. Why? Offer working models for modernizing cost-effective, climate-friendly, and commuter-friendly transit solutions by leveraging existing infrastructure and learning from experience.
• Need to diversify urban transit solutions beyond metro/e-bus and integrate planning with urban design. Why? Essential for creating resilient, affordable, and climate-aligned transport systems that match the scale of India’s urban transition and support the Viksit Bharat goal.

KHAAN QUEST

• Indian Army contingent (Kumaon Regiment, 40 personnel including women) reached Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for Exercise KHAAN QUEST (June 14-28, 2025). Why: Marks India’s participation in this year’s significant multinational military exercise focused on peacekeeping.
• It’s the 22nd iteration of the exercise, hosted by the Mongolian Armed Forces, which originated as a bilateral exercise between the USA and Mongolia in 2003 and became multinational from 2006. Why: Shows the long-standing nature and evolution of the exercise into a key platform for international peacekeeping training.
• Objective is to enhance peacekeeping capabilities, interoperability, and military readiness under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Why: Prepares participating forces for potential deployment in complex United Nations peace support operations dealing with threats to international peace.
• Exercise includes joint planning, tactical drills like checkpoints, cordon and search, civilian evacuation, counter-Improvised Explosive Device (IED), and casualty management. Why: Focuses on practical skills and coordination essential for operating effectively in challenging peacekeeping environments.
• Significance includes promoting exchange of Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) and strengthening military cooperation and camaraderie among participating nations. Why: Improves combined operational effectiveness and builds crucial relationships between international forces.

PASSEX 2025

• Passage Exercise (PASSEX) 2025 was conducted by the Indian Navy and the UK Royal Navy in the North Arabian Sea on June 9 and 10.
• Indian participants included the stealth frigate INS Tabar, a conventional submarine, and a P-8I maritime patrol aircraft.
• The UK formation comprised the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and frigate HMS Richmond.
• The exercise featured unified control of helicopters, tactical manoeuvres, coordinated anti-submarine operations, and professional officer exchanges.
• Why it’s news: It strengthens interoperability, communication, and strategic collaboration between the two navies at sea.
• It aims to enhance tactical manoeuvres, maritime domain awareness, and reaffirm commitment to Indo-Pacific maritime security.
• The exercise demonstrates deepening cooperation and robust bilateral ties between India and the UK, supporting a secure and stable maritime environment.
• It aligns with the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the 2030 Roadmap, and India’s SAGAR vision for regional security and growth.

Heat-Tolerant Pigeonpea

• New heat-tolerant pigeonpea variety ICPV 25444 developed using speed breeding. Why: Enables cultivation in high temperatures (up to 45°C) and significantly reduces development time (5 years vs 15), allowing faster adoption.

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• It can utilize 12 million hectares of rice fallows post-kharif previously left uncultivated due to heat and water scarcity. Why: Opens up vast tracts of land for pulse production, increasing overall output potential.

• The variety doubles yields from around 1.1-1.2 to 2 tonnes/ha and has a faster harvest cycle (4 months vs 6-7). Why: Increases farmer profitability and allows for better integration into crop rotations.

• Has potential to drastically reduce India’s significant pigeonpea imports (USD 800 million annually) and bridge the 1.5 million tonne domestic shortfall. Why: Supports India’s national goal of achieving self-reliance in pulses by 2028, saving foreign exchange.

Global Gender Gap 2025

• India ranked 131st out of 148 countries with a parity score of 64.1%, a slip of two places from 129th in 2024. Why: The report evaluated gender parity across 148 countries.
• The Global Gender Gap Index is an annual benchmark measuring gender gaps across four dimensions: Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health & Survival, and Political Empowerment. Why: It acts as a strategic tool for tracking progress and setting priorities.
• In subindices, India showed gains in Economic Participation (40.7%), Educational Attainment (97.1%), and Health & Survival. Why: Improvement in estimated earned income parity (28.6% to 29.9%), near-parity in literacy and tertiary enrolment, and better sex ratio/life expectancy contributed to these gains.
• India’s Political Empowerment score fell by 0.6 points. Why: Female representation in Parliament decreased from 14.7% to 13.8%, and ministerial representation fell from 6.5% to 5.6%.
• Within South Asia, India ranks lower than Bhutan (119), Nepal (125), and Sri Lanka (130), but better than Maldives (138) and Pakistan (148). Bangladesh is the region’s top performer at 24th globally. Why: Provides regional context and comparison; Bangladesh’s rise driven by political and economic gains.
• Globally, the gender gap has closed by 68.8%, marking the strongest post-COVID-19 pandemic progress. Why: Reflects recent momentum towards parity, although full parity is estimated to be 123 years away at the current rate.
• Iceland leads the global ranking for the 16th consecutive year, followed by Finland, Norway, UK, and New Zealand. Why: These countries consistently show high performance in closing gender gaps across the evaluated dimensions.

Lesser Flamingos

• Large numbers of Lesser Flamingos recently arrived at Chhaya pond in Porbandar, Gujarat. Why: This indicates their current location before their next crucial migratory phase.
• They will migrate from Porbandar to the Great Rann of Kutch for breeding. Why: This is a key stage in their annual life cycle, focusing on reproduction in a specific region.
• The Lesser Flamingo is the smallest species and inhabits brackish and coastal water bodies in India. Why: These details help identify the specific bird and understand its preferred environment in the region.
• It is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN and listed under CITES Appendix II and WPA, 1972 Schedule IV. Why: This highlights its vulnerable conservation status, making its movements and populations important to monitor.

Healthcare AI

• News Highlight: Indian researchers developed Garbhini-GA2, an AI model predicting fetal age from ultrasound images with high accuracy (half-day error), significantly outperforming existing methods and showcasing AI’s potential in Indian healthcare.
• Applications:
  • Early Disease Detection: AI analyzes medical images quickly for diseases like cancer (AIIMS iOncology), TB, pneumonia (Qure.ai), crucial in areas with specialist shortages.
  • Telemedicine: AI chatbots and assistants offer symptom guidance and advice, improving access in rural areas (e.g., Practo, Apollo).
  • Drug Discovery/Treatment: AI helps develop affordable, patient-specific therapies (e.g., InnAccel SAANS for infant breathing support).
  • Wearables: AI-powered devices help manage chronic diseases like diabetes, providing real-time recommendations (e.g., BeatO glucometer).
  • Hospital Efficiency: AI streamlines operations, predicts disease progression, improving patient care (e.g., Microsoft AI predicting diabetic retinopathy).
  • Medical Training: AI simulations and personalized learning enhance medical education and competency (e.g., FundamentalVR).
• Challenges:
  • Lack of Quality Data: Fragmented, non-digital records and data bias limit effective AI training for the Indian context.
  • Limited Rural Infrastructure: Poor internet connectivity and lack of digital systems in remote areas hinder AI deployment.
  • Regulatory/Ethical Concerns: Absence of clear AI governance framework raises issues of patient privacy, bias, and accountability.
  • Language Barrier: India’s diverse languages challenge AI implementation and accurate communication.
  • Professional Resistance: Doctors/nurses show distrust towards AI, fearing job loss or misdiagnosis, slowing adoption.
• Solutions:
  • Build Local Data: Standardize digital health records (ABDM), leverage platforms, and share anonymized data for better AI training.
  • Strengthen Rural Tech: Improve infrastructure (internet, 5G), equip healthcare workers with AI tools, and enable offline capabilities.
  • Establish Regulations: Create clear approval processes for AI medical tools and enforce ethical guidelines to ensure safe and responsible AI use.
  • Train Healthcare Staff: Integrate AI into medical education and training programs to build trust and competence.
  • Public Awareness: Conduct campaigns to inform the public about AI in healthcare benefits and limitations.

Global Gender Gap

• India ranked 131st out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, slipping two spots from 2024 (129th). Why: Indicates India is falling behind other nations in closing its overall gender gap.
• Political Empowerment saw a significant drop, with fewer women in Parliament and Ministerial roles. Why: This decline shows women’s representation and influence in political decision-making is decreasing.
• Economic Participation remains very low, placing India in the bottom five globally, despite a slight improvement in estimated earned income. Why: Highlighting the persistent major challenge of low female labour force participation compared to men.
• Achieved high parity in Educational Attainment (97.1%) and improved Health and Survival scores (aided by better sex ratio at birth). Why: Shows relative progress in basic access to education and health compared to other areas.
• Ranked below neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka within South Asia. Why: Demonstrates India’s relatively poor performance in gender equality compared to most countries in its region.
• Globally, India is among the bottom 20 countries; the index shows it will take over 120 years to achieve global gender parity at the current pace. Why: Underscores the vast challenges remaining both worldwide and particularly for India in closing gender gaps.
• The Global Gender Gap Index is an annual WEF report measuring gender-based disparities across economic, education, health, and political dimensions. Why: Provides context for the framework used to assess gender parity progress.

CPI May 2025

• Headline Retail Inflation (CPI Combined) is 2.82% in May 2025: This is the main figure released by MoSPI (NSO).
• Lowest CPI since Feb 2019: The 2.82% figure marks a significant drop, reaching a multi-year low.
• Sharp decline from April 2025 (3.16%) and May 2024 (4.80%): Shows a clear downward trend in retail inflation both month-on-month and year-on-year.
• Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) at 0.99%: Food inflation is also very low, down significantly from April 2025 (1.78%) and drastically lower than May 2024 (8.69%). This is the lowest food inflation since October 2021.
• Driven by price falls in key food items: Vegetables (-13.7%), Pulses (-8.22%), and moderation in cereals, fruits, sugar, eggs, etc., are primary reasons for the decline in food inflation and the overall CPI.
• Favorable base effect contributed: The high inflation figures from May 2024 (4.80% overall, 8.69% food) make the current year-on-year numbers appear lower by comparison.
• Gives RBI policy space: The sharp fall in inflation provides room for the Reserve Bank of India to potentially consider future interest rate cuts from the current repo rate of 5.5%.
• Outlook is optimistic: Supported by projections of a good monsoon and subdued global commodity prices, which could help keep inflationary pressures low.
• Data released by MoSPI (NSO): The official source for the CPI figures in India, using the 2012 base year.

Green Fuel for Viksit Bharat

• Context: India aims for ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed nation) by 2047 and Net Zero by 2070, requiring significantly increased, clean energy.
• Why: Future energy needs (28,000 TWh/year by 2070) vastly exceed current supply (9,800 TWh, mostly fossil fuels). Renewables alone cannot meet the gap, making nuclear essential (projected 70% of clean energy needed).
• Key Target: Government sets an ambitious goal of 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047.
• Why: Positions nuclear as a central pillar to achieve the massive clean energy target and decarbonize the sector.
• Challenge: India has low-grade uranium, requiring significant imports (20,000 tonnes/year needed for 100 GW).
• Why: Import dependency is risky due to limited global supply, geopolitical tensions, and rising demand elsewhere.
• Strategic Steps: Focus on scaling up indigenous PHWRs, promoting ‘Make in India’ for reactors, accelerating Thorium MSR-based SMR development, seeking global collaboration on advanced fuels (HALEU), involving private players, and streamlining regulations.
• Why: To overcome fuel dependency, leverage India’s large thorium reserves (Stage 3), reduce costs, enable faster deployment (SMRs), and ensure supply security.
• Innovation: Developing ‘Bharat SMRs’ and simpler ‘Bharat BSRs’.
• Why: Provides flexible, decentralized clean power, potential for process heat/hydrogen, acts as testbeds for advanced designs, and offers export potential.
• Overall: Nuclear energy is crucial for India’s development and climate goals, but achieving the target requires overcoming fuel challenges through a multi-pronged strategy focusing on indigenous tech, international collaboration, and regulatory changes. Safety remains paramount.

Kabir Jayanti 648

• The 648th Birth Anniversary of Sant Kabir Das (Kabirdas Jayanti) was observed on June 11, 2025. Why: Marking a significant cultural commemoration of a pivotal historical figure revered across India.
• Prime Minister paid tribute to Sant Kabir Das. Why: Emphasizing the national recognition of his enduring legacy, particularly his lifelong dedication to social harmony and reform.
• Sant Kabir Das (1440–1518) was a revered mystic poet, saint, and social reformer from Varanasi. Why: He played a crucial role in shaping spiritual and social thought during the Bhakti movement.
• He was a prominent proponent of Nirguna Bhakti (devotion to a formless God) and challenged religious orthodoxy, blind rituals, and social divisions, including casteism. Why: His teachings advocated a universal, inclusive path to God based on truth, compassion, and equality, making spirituality accessible to all.
• He popularized devotional worship in vernacular languages through his dohas and bhajans, significantly influencing Hindi literature and Indian consciousness. Why: Using accessible language helped spread his message widely among common people.
• His legacy promotes communal harmony, being revered by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs alike, and led to the formation of the Kabir Panth. Why: His universal message of love, equality, and inner spiritual awakening transcends religious boundaries and continues to inspire unity.

CCEA

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, approved two railway multitracking (doubling) projects.
• These projects are Koderma–Barkakana Doubling (Jharkhand) and Ballari–Chikjajur Doubling (Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh).
• Total investment is ₹6,405 crore, adding approximately 318 km to the railway network.
• Why: Improve connectivity to around 1,408 villages, benefiting about 2.8 million people.
• Why: Enhance freight transport capacity by 49 million tonnes per annum, vital for moving coal, minerals, and commodities.
• Why: Increase operational efficiency, reduce congestion, and improve reliability for both passenger and freight services.
• Why: Contribute to environmental goals by reducing fuel consumption (520 million litres) and CO2 emissions (2,640 million kg annually), equivalent to planting 110 million trees.
• Why: Generate significant direct employment, estimated at 108 lakh human-days during construction.
• Why: Aligned with the PM-Gati Shakti Master Plan to boost logistics, regional development, and create employment.
• CCEA’s role: As one of the key cabinet committees, it approves major economic policies and high-value investment projects crucial for national economic development.

IAEA

• IAEA board censured Iran: The Board of Governors passed a resolution formally criticizing Iran.
  • Why news: This is the first such censure in 20 years, highlighting a major breakdown in cooperation between the IAEA and Iran over its nuclear activities.
• Reason for censure: Iran failed to fully cooperate with the IAEA regarding undeclared nuclear materials and sites since 2019.
  • Why news: This lack of cooperation violates Iran’s Safeguards Agreement under the NPT, raising concerns about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.
• Implications of censure: The action raises the possibility of referring Iran to the UN Security Council, potentially leading to renewed sanctions and increased geopolitical tensions.
  • Why news: It escalates the long-standing dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and could have significant international security consequences.
• Iran’s response: Iran rejected the censure, announced plans for a new enrichment facility and advanced centrifuges, and threatened further retaliation.
  • Why news: This shows Iran’s defiance and intent to further expand its nuclear program in response to international pressure, complicating diplomatic efforts.
• IAEA’s role: The IAEA is mandated to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and ensures compliance with Safeguards Agreements through inspections.
  • Why news: The censure underscores the IAEA’s critical function in verifying states’ nuclear activities and the challenges it faces in countries like Iran.

AI171 Ahmedabad Crash

• Air India Flight AI171 crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025: Why? This is the central event, a major aviation disaster reported in the news.
• High fatality count: 241 out of 242 people on board died: Why? Highlights the tragic and severe scale of the accident.
• Sole survivor identified as a British national of Indian origin: Why? A significant human element, focusing on the miraculous survival amidst widespread loss.
• Flight issued a “mayday” call and crashed minutes after takeoff: Why? Provides crucial details about the sequence of events leading to the crash, indicating immediate distress.
• Witnesses reported the plane flying unusually low before impact: Why? Adds external observation supporting the unusual nature of the flight path before the crash.
• PM Modi and Civil Aviation Minister ordered immediate response and investigation: Why? Shows the high-level government reaction and prioritization of rescue and inquiry.
• DGCA will lead the investigation with Boeing and international support: Why? Identifies the key authority responsible for determining the cause and indicates the involvement of relevant experts and entities.
• Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani is presumed dead among the passengers: Why? Notes a prominent personality among the victims, adding a political dimension to the casualty list.
• Multiple Indian aviation bodies like DGCA, AAIB, MoCA are involved in safety and investigation: Why? Provides context on the structured system in India for handling such incidents and ensures regulatory oversight and independent inquiry.

KATRIN

• The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) Experiment in Germany aims to measure the absolute mass of neutrinos. Why: Neutrinos are fundamental, elusive particles, and their exact mass is a crucial unknown in particle physics, impacting our understanding of the universe.
• KATRIN works by precisely analyzing the energy spectrum of electrons emitted during the radioactive decay of tritium. Why: The shape of this spectrum, particularly near its maximum energy, is directly influenced by the neutrino’s mass.
• The experiment recently set a new upper limit on the sum of the masses of the three neutrino types (8.8 x 10^-7 times the electron mass). Why: This provides the most stringent, model-independent constraint on neutrino mass from direct measurement to date, improving previous limits by a factor of two.
• Measuring neutrino mass is significant because it challenges the Standard Model of particle physics. Why: The Standard Model predicts neutrinos are massless, but experimental observations of neutrino oscillations prove they have mass, suggesting the existence of new physics beyond the current framework.
• The experiment requires a massive, sensitive spectrometer (200-tonne). Why: Detecting the tiny effect of neutrino mass on electron energies requires an extremely precise and large-scale instrument, highlighting the difficulty of the measurement.
• KATRIN’s result is considered robust compared to limits derived from cosmology or other decay experiments. Why: It is a direct measurement of mass that does not rely on cosmological assumptions or assumptions about the neutrino being its own antiparticle.

Ocean Treaty 2025 Conf

• India is actively moving towards ratifying the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement), confirming its commitment contrary to any suggestion of reluctance.
• At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, India reaffirmed its commitment to the treaty and proposed a six-point action plan focusing on science-based, inclusive, and sustainable ocean governance.
• India’s commitments include enhancing marine research, expanding marine protected areas, tackling marine pollution, promoting climate resilience, supporting renewable ocean energy, and integrating indigenous knowledge.
• India also endorsed the ‘Nice Ocean Action Plan’, emphasizing actionable steps for SDG-14 (Life Below Water).
• The High Seas Treaty aims to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (high seas).
• Key features of the treaty include establishing Marine Protected Areas, ensuring fair sharing of Marine Genetic Resources, mandating Environmental Impact Assessments, and supporting capacity building.
• The treaty needs 60 ratifications to come into force; as of mid-2025, 49 countries have ratified it.
• The treaty fills a major legal gap in international maritime law (UNCLOS) and is critical for protecting the “global commons” against threats like overfishing and climate change.

Empowering Women in Ag

• Why in News: The United Nations General Assembly declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognising their critical yet often overlooked role and the need to address their challenges. This declaration, supported by over 100 countries, brings global attention to the topic. Discussions like the WFP/Royal Norwegian Embassy symposia further highlight ongoing efforts and challenges.
• Significant Role: Women contribute nearly half of the global food supply, making up 60-80% of food production in developing countries and a large part of the agricultural labour force globally (39% in South Asia) and in India (around 80% rural women, feminisation of agriculture due to male migration).
• Major Challenges: Despite high participation, women face significant gender inequality in land ownership (only 14% nationally, 8.3% NFHS-5), limiting access to credit, technology, and services. They also struggle with limited access to education, skills, and financial literacy, an overburdened/unrecognised workload, market exclusion, and increased vulnerability to climate change.
• Indian Initiatives: India has implemented programs like MKSP & SMAM (skill enhancement, machinery subsidies), NFSM (30% budget allocation), ENACT project (tech-based advisories), promoting resilient crops/market linkages, SHGs/Microfinance, Lakhpati Didi, Namo Drone Didi, and specific allocations in irrigation/farming schemes to support women farmers. Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas also celebrates their contributions.
• Steps for Empowerment: Leveraging the 2026 declaration is crucial. Policymaking needs to be gender-focused, based on disaggregated data. Enhancing women’s access to resources (credit, tech, info) and supporting collective action through SHGs are key to increasing their decision-making power and resilience.
• Overall Importance: Strengthening women’s role is vital not just for gender equality but also for ensuring food security, fostering rural prosperity, and building climate resilience, requiring rights-based and inclusive policies.

WPA 1972 Amendment Call

• Kerala has requested the Union Government to amend the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA) to allow controlled killing of wild animals that pose a threat to human life or agriculture.
  • Why: Human-wildlife conflict has intensified in Kerala, resulting in significant casualties (919 killed, 8,967 injured between 2016 and 2025) and forcing farmers to abandon land due to crop raids by animals like wild boars and bonnet macaques.
• The current WPA is seen as having challenges that prevent timely action against dangerous animals.
  • Why: Animals listed under Schedule I receive high protection, requiring lengthy approvals under Section 11 before lethal measures can be considered, only after confirming capture/relocation isn’t feasible. Court orders also limit the ability of district collectors to act promptly. Wildlife wardens are restricted from taking proactive action against Schedule I animals like bonnet macaques.
• Kerala seeks flexibility to declare specific problem animals as vermin and simplify procedures for others.
  • Why: The state wants an easier process to declare animals like wild boar as vermin under Section 62 due to population explosion and failed control measures. They also request removing bonnet macaque from Schedule I (where it was placed in 2022) to allow wardens to easily manage the species which causes significant agricultural damage.

Puducherry NeVA Launch

• National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) platform was launched for Puducherry Legislative Assembly by Union Minister Dr. L. Murugan. Why: Marks a major step towards transparent, efficient, and environment-friendly governance.
• Puducherry is the 19th legislature to adopt NeVA, which is a workflow-based digital platform funded 100% by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs under the “One Nation, One Application” initiative. Why: To digitise legislative functioning and align with the vision of Digital India.
• The platform provides real-time access to legislative documents like bills, questions, and reports, enabling paperless operations. Why: Saves an estimated 3-5 tonnes of paper annually, supporting Go Green and Good Governance initiatives.
• NeVA is device-neutral, member-centric, and includes features like live-streaming and the mNeVA mobile app. Why: Enhances transparency, ensures 24×7 access to legislative data, and strengthens democracy by allowing public view of proceedings.
• It serves as a unified digital repository for legislative data across adopting states/UTs, hosted securely on NIC Cloud – MeghRaj. Why: Eliminates redundant systems and provides a consolidated digital resource.

State of World Population 2025

UNFPA’s State of World Population (SOWP) 2025 report, titled “The Real Fertility Crisis,” is in news for highlighting global demographic shifts, reaffirming India as the world’s most populous nation, and emphasizing unmet fertility goals and reproductive autonomy over fears of population decline.

• Most Populous Nation: India’s population estimated at 146.39 crore in April 2025, surpassing China, projected to peak around 170 crore in the early 2060s.
• Fertility Below Replacement Level: India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1, though states show significant regional disparities (e.g., Bihar high, Kerala low).
• Youthful Demographics & Workforce: India benefits from a demographic dividend with 68% of the population in the working-age group (15-64) and a large youth cohort (26% aged 10-24).
• Barriers to Reproductive Choices: Millions are unable to realize their fertility goals due to challenges like financial, housing, and job insecurity (40%, 22%, 21% respectively), health issues (infertility, poor maternal care), social pressure, and rising anxiety.
• Focus on Reproductive Rights: The report urges India to prioritize reproductive rights, ensuring universal access to contraceptives, maternal/infertility care, and safe abortion, and addressing structural barriers and gender inequality.
• Demographic Statistics: Key data points include a median age of 28.2 years, 77.7% overall literacy (15+), 41.7% female labor force participation (15+), and a dependency ratio of 47%.
• Vulnerabilities: Highlights that over 80% of India’s population lives in climate-vulnerable areas, and significant percentages suffer from non-communicable diseases and mental health issues.
• Life Expectancy: Projected at 71 years for men and 74 years for women.

Sudan Refugee Crisis

• Sudanese refugees are increasingly fleeing Egypt towards Libya and Europe.
• Why: Egypt tightened refugee policies with stricter visas, costly residency, and government-controlled registration, leading to detentions and fear for asylum seekers.
• Libya is now a major, dangerous transit route.
• Why: Instability, abuse, extortion, violence, and detentions by militias and smugglers make the journey perilous.
• The humanitarian response is overwhelmed, facing severe shortages.
• Why: Rising refugee numbers exceed available aid and funding.
• Egypt’s actions are criticized for potentially violating international obligations.
• Why: Policies causing displacement raise concerns, including potential European complicity through funding border control.
• The root cause is Sudan’s civil war (since April 2023).
• Why: Conflict between SAF and RSF caused mass displacement, violence, and state collapse, forcing millions to flee Sudan initially, many to neighboring Egypt.

Green Nickel

• New Extraction Method: A hydrogen plasma-based method is a breakthrough for nickel extraction from low-grade laterite ores.
  • Why: It replaces carbon, drastically cutting CO₂ emissions by 84% and improving energy efficiency by 18%, moving towards “green metallurgy.”
• Addressing High Emissions: Traditional nickel production is highly carbon-intensive (>20 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of nickel).
  • Why: This offsets the environmental benefits of clean tech like EVs that rely heavily on nickel, shifting the pollution burden. The new method offers a cleaner alternative.
• Essential for Clean Tech: Nickel is critical for rechargeable batteries (especially in EVs) and demand is surging (>6 million tonnes/year by 2040).
  • Why: Sustainable production methods like this are vital to meet future demand without exacerbating climate change.
• Utilizing Abundant Ores: The method works efficiently on laterite ores, which are abundant globally (like in Odisha, India) but difficult to process with conventional methods.
  • Why: This opens up new sources of nickel, reducing reliance on depleting sulphide ores and maximising the use of domestic resources.
• Potential for India: India has significant laterite reserves (Sukinda Valley, Odisha) but relies on imports for primary nickel.
  • Why: This technology could enable domestic production from currently underutilised reserves, aligning with industrial growth and net-zero goals by reducing import dependency and carbon footprint.
• Simplified Process: It is a one-step process using hydrogen plasma in an electric arc furnace, yielding water as a byproduct.
  • Why: This bypasses the multi-step, energy-intensive traditional methods (calcination, smelting, reduction, refining), saving energy and time while being carbon-free.
• Enabling Sustainable Future: Without such innovations, the shift to green technologies risks relying on carbon-intensive material sourcing.
  • Why: This method is crucial for ensuring that the materials underpinning the green revolution are produced sustainably, truly reducing overall environmental impact.

Velpur Model: Child Labour

• World Day Against Child Labour (June 12): Observed by ILO to draw attention to the persistent issue and mobilize action against it globally.
• Scale of Problem: 160 million children globally are in child labour; over 4.3 million in India (Census 2011), mainly in agriculture, domestic work, and informal sectors. Why: Highlights the vastness and urgency of the problem.
• Causes: Driven by poverty, family debt, lack of quality education access, social acceptance of child work, and weak law enforcement. Why: These are the root factors requiring systemic solutions.
• Impact: Deprives children of education/skills, leads to physical/psychological harm, and perpetuates intergenerational poverty. Why: Severe consequences for children’s development and future.
• Legal Framework: Indian Constitution (Arts 21A & 24) and Child Labour Act (1986/2016) prohibit child labour and ensure right to education. Why: Provides the legal basis to protect children.
• Government Initiatives: Include NCLP (special schools for rescued children), PENCIL portal (online tracking/monitoring), RTE Act (free education 6-14), and schemes like Mid-Day Meals to keep children in school. Why: Multi-pronged efforts to remove children from work and retain them in education.
• Challenges: Difficulties include hidden nature of child labour, inadequate rehabilitation, economic pressures on families, social tolerance, and weak coordination among agencies. Why: Explain why eradication remains complex despite laws and schemes.
• Velpur Model (Telangana): A successful, community-led initiative in Velpur Mandal declared child labour-free in 2001 and sustained for over two decades. Why: Demonstrates that complete eradication is achievable through local action and community ownership.
• Velpur Approach: Involved identifying/enrolling every child, using bridge schools, public awareness campaigns, persuading employers to write off parent debts (often linked to child labour), and formal commitments from local leaders (Sarpanchs) and government. Why: Shows the practical steps combining community pressure, education, and local governance support that made it work.
• Recognition: The model has been recognized nationally and internationally (ILO, President Kalam, NHRC) and is incorporated into training modules. Why: Validates its effectiveness and potential for replication in other areas.
• Way Forward: Emphasizes strengthening universal education, providing family livelihood support, improving inter-departmental coordination, and replicating successful community-driven models like Velpur. Why: Points to comprehensive strategies for sustainable eradication.

Sir C. Sankaran Nair

• Resigned from Viceroy’s Executive Council: Why? In protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919), showing his principled dissent against British atrocities despite holding a high office.
• First Malayali President of Indian National Congress (1897): Why? Highlights his early prominence and leadership role in the nationalist movement.
• Jurist and Judge of Madras High Court: Why? Known for landmark judgments emphasizing due process, justice, legal integrity, and civil rights within the British system.
• Advocated Social Reform: Why? Promoted inter-caste marriage, women’s rights, and eradication of caste discrimination, demonstrating his commitment to social justice.
• Critic of Gandhi’s Methods: Why? Preferred constitutional and legislative paths over mass civil disobedience and the Khilafat Movement, showing his distinct approach to nationalism.
• Author of “Gandhi and Anarchy”: Why? Outlined his fundamental disagreements with dominant nationalist strategies, highlighting his independent critical stance.
• Underappreciated Figure: Why? Despite his significant contributions as a jurist, nationalist, and reformer, his legacy was largely sidelined in mainstream historical narratives until recently.
• Embodied Contradiction and Courage: Why? Was an insider in the British legal system yet a principled dissenter who challenged the empire, showing his complex role in the freedom struggle.

Emergency at 50

June 12, 1975: Allahabad High Court found Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractice for misusing government resources in her 1971 campaign.
Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha set aside her election to Lok Sabha and barred her from holding office for six years – the first time an Indian PM’s election was invalidated.
This judgment, stemming from Raj Narain’s petition, posed a severe threat to her political career and triggered a major constitutional crisis.
Facing growing protests and opposition, Indira Gandhi advised the President to declare a national Emergency on June 25, 1975, under Article 352.
The Emergency, lasting 21 months, suspended civil liberties, censored the press, led to arrests, and curtailed judicial independence, marking a period of authoritarian rule.
The 50th anniversary marks this pivotal legal event that directly led to the imposition of the Emergency, a significant period in India’s history.
The case highlighted the tension between political power and judicial review.

Etalin Hydro Project

• The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has granted in-principle forest clearance for the 3,097 MW Etalin Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh. Why: This is the primary news development, signifying official progress for the long-proposed project.
• The project is located in the Dibang Valley, part of the Eastern Himalaya Global Biodiversity Hotspot, and involves dams on the Dri and Talo (Tangon) rivers. Why: Highlights its location in an environmentally sensitive area and the rivers it will impact.
• It is a Run-of-the-River project but requires felling approximately 270,000 trees and diverting over 1,100 hectares of forest land. Why: Details the significant environmental impact despite the project type.
• The region is rich in biodiversity, home to globally threatened mammal species and a large percentage of India’s bird species, making the deforestation a major concern. Why: Explains the ecological significance of the affected area.
• The project faces persistent opposition from the indigenous Idu Mishmi community. Why: Notes the local social resistance.
• This approval is significant because the same FAC had rejected the proposal in December 2022, citing biodiversity and wildlife concerns and demanding fresh studies. Why: This is the key controversy, showing a reversal of the previous decision.
• The recent approval relied on existing studies, including a Wildlife Institute of India study that was criticized by conservationists, overlooking the FAC’s earlier recommendations for more comprehensive, multi-seasonal assessments. Why: Explains how the approval was reached despite past concerns and criticized data.

Inflation Below 3%

• India’s CPI inflation dropped below 3% (estimated ~2.7%) in May 2025, the lowest level since April 2019 (2.99%).
• Why: Primarily driven by easing food prices, specifically falls in cereals and pulses, despite some increases in vegetable prices.
• Why: Favorable year-on-year base effect contributed to a price decline in essential commodities compared to the previous year.
• Why: Core inflation (excluding food and fuel) remained moderate (~4.2%) due to weak domestic demand and soft global commodity prices.
• This low inflation data allowed the RBI to cut interest rates significantly in 2025 (100 bps).
• The RBI revised its FY26 inflation forecast down to 3.7%, reflecting a benign outlook.
• Despite low headline inflation, the RBI shifted its policy stance from ‘accommodative’ to ‘neutral’.
• Potential risk: Prices of some vegetables like tomato and potato showed month-on-month increases in May, needing close monitoring.

CFRs End Naxalism

• Government aims to end Naxalism by March 2026, urging states to focus on infrastructure, rehabilitation, and operations.
• Naxalism stems from issues like land alienation, exploitation of forest resources, poverty, social exclusion, and lack of political voice for tribal communities.
• Community Forest Rights (CFRs) under FRA, 2006, recognize tribal communities’ traditional rights over forest resources and management.
• The Gadchiroli model uses CFR recognition combined with development and empowerment to counter Naxalism effectively.
• Why it works: CFRs address key Naxal causes by:
  • Granting legal rights over traditional lands/forests, reducing alienation (a major cause).
  • Providing exclusive rights over Minor Forest Produce (MFP), creating livelihood security and reducing poverty (economic driver for Naxal recruitment).
  • Empowering Gram Sabhas (village councils) for resource management, ensuring democratic control and reducing political marginalization.
  • Promoting sustainable resource management by the community itself.
• Gadchiroli achievements include the highest CFR recognition in India, significant community control over forests (5,110.07 sq km), improved livelihoods (₹7,000/month income from MFP), better forest conservation, and transparent, decentralized governance through Gram Sabhas.
• This approach fosters local ownership and economic upliftment, countering the narrative and conditions that fuel Naxal recruitment and activity.
• The model’s success in Gadchiroli suggests replication can reduce alienation and empower communities in other Naxal-affected areas, thereby tackling a root cause of the insurgency.

Indian Grey Wolf

• Key point: Indian Grey Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) sighted near the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi. Why: This is the first recorded sighting in Delhi since the 1940s, marking a rare return of the species to the region.
• Key point: The wolf was photographed by wildlife enthusiast Hemant Garg on May 15, 2025, in Palla village, on the banks of the Yamuna near the Delhi-Haryana-Uttar Pradesh border. Why: This provides the specific details of the discovery and the person who documented the sighting.
• Key point: Experts from Wildlife Institute of India and wolf specialists confirmed the animal is likely an Indian grey wolf, specifically a subadult (year-old). Why: Confirmation by experts validates the significance of the sighting and rules out common misidentifications like a dog or jackal.
• Key point: The animal exhibited characteristics typical of a subadult wolf, including its coat colour, dentition, and behaviour (stealthy, shy, hiding from humans). Why: These details helped experts identify the species and age, distinguishing it from other canids or hybrids.
• Key point: While hybridisation with dogs is a potential concern for the species, experts believe this individual is likely a wild wolf, noting its dispersal behaviour away from human settlements. Why: Addresses the possibility of a wolf-dog hybrid but leans towards a wild origin based on the animal’s behaviour and typical dispersal patterns of young wolves.
• Key point: The Indian Grey Wolf is a Schedule I species under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Why: This highlights its high conservation status and the importance of protecting its habitat.
• Key point: The species faces threats including habitat loss (grasslands), depletion of prey, and diseases from feral dogs. Why: Provides context on the challenges facing the Indian Grey Wolf, making its appearance in an urban periphery like Delhi even more notable.

Core-Mantle Coupling

• Study by German researchers reveals precious metals like gold, platinum, and ruthenium are leaking from Earth’s core to the surface via volcanic activity.
• Why in News: This challenges the long-standing belief that the Earth’s core is geochemically isolated from the mantle and crust.
• Key finding: Researchers analyzed volcanic rocks from Hawaii (formed by mantle plumes) and found high levels of Ruthenium-100, an isotope mainly found in the Earth’s core.
• This detection indicates core materials are traveling upward through mantle plumes, revealing greater core-mantle connectivity than earlier assumed.
• The Earth’s core contains the vast majority of the planet’s precious siderophile (iron-loving) metals, traditionally thought to be inaccessible due to a thick rock barrier. The study suggests some are reaching the surface.

Indigenous Heeng Breakthrough

• First successful flowering and seed setting of heeng (asafoetida) reported at CSIR-IHBT Palampur after approximately 5 years of effort.
• Why: This is a landmark milestone demonstrating that the plant has successfully acclimatized to Indian conditions, crucially completing its reproductive cycle outside its native cold desert environment, even in mid-altitude regions like Palampur (1300m).
• This achievement proves the potential for sustainable indigenous cultivation.
• Why: Flowering and seed setting enable domestic seed production, which is vital for large-scale propagation, long-term domestication, and building a self-reliant supply chain.
• The breakthrough significantly helps India reduce its heavy import dependence.
• Why: Despite being the world’s largest consumer, India previously relied entirely on imports (mainly from Afghanistan, Iran). Domestic cultivation capability is key to self-sufficiency.
• It opens new income avenues for farmers in suitable regions by offering a valuable cash crop.
• Background: Heeng is an essential ingredient in Indian cuisine and an ancient Ayurvedic herb prized for its digestive properties.

Amrit Bharat Stations

• Prime Minister recently inaugurated 103 redeveloped railway stations across 86 districts in 18 States/UTs.
• This is part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), launched by the Ministry of Railways in December 2022.
• The scheme aims to redevelop 1,309 railway stations across India into modern integrated transport hubs and city centres.
• It focuses on integrating regional architecture, enhancing passenger amenities, promoting inclusivity, and supporting urban development.
• Redevelopment is customised with location-specific plans, blending modern facilities with regional architectural themes (e.g., Dwarka inspired by temple, Ahmedabad by Modhera Sun Temple).
• Improved passenger amenities include modern waiting halls, clean toilets, roofed platforms, Wi-Fi, escalators, lifts, executive lounges, business areas, and better signage for a seamless experience.
• Designs are inclusive and accessible, aligned with the Accessible India Campaign, featuring ramps, lifts, Braille signage, and accessible toilets.
• Stations are being developed as multimodal hubs connecting with bus and metro systems and integrating both sides of cities to support urban mobility.
• The 103 inaugurated stations were redeveloped at a cost of over Rs 1,100 crore, covering multiple states like UP (19), Gujarat (18), and Maharashtra (15).
• Financial spending under customer amenities head was significant in recent years, with over Rs 12,000 crore allocated for FY 2025-26.
• Some stations previously redeveloped served as pilot projects for the scheme.

Kerala Wildlife Law Reform

• Kerala seeks amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, from the Centre to allow culling of dangerous or crop-damaging animals.
• Why: Rising human-animal conflict in Kerala poses a major threat, with 273 village bodies as hotspots and significant loss of life (919 deaths 2016-2025) and livelihood due to attacks by animals like elephants, tigers, wild boars, and bonnet macaques.
• Current national issue: Human-animal conflicts are increasing across India due to habitat degradation, changes in land use near forests, and population growth of certain species like wild boars and monkeys.
• Existing law challenges: The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, especially Schedule I protection, makes timely action difficult, requiring complex procedures (capture, translocation attempts, chief wildlife warden approval, following central advisories) before lethal control is considered. Court orders also restrict local executive powers.
• Kerala’s demands: They want relaxed rules for culling man-eating/crop-damaging animals, seasonal/regional permissions, eased emergency procedures, declaration of wild boars as ‘vermin’ (allowing easier culling), and removal of bonnet macaques from Schedule I.
• Why amend: The current framework is seen as too rigid to effectively manage urgent conflict situations and protect human life and agricultural land from escalating wildlife threats.

UN Reform

• Global conflicts highest since WWII (over 233k dead, 120M displaced in 2024) reveal the UN’s failure to prevent/resolve crises like Russia-Ukraine, threatening development and SDGs.
• Weak enforcement, reliance on voluntary troops (Rwanda delay), and sanctions hurting civilians (Iraq) undermine peace and human rights, causing massive humanitarian crises (Yemen, Sudan).
• Failure to address economic ($19.3T cost in 2023) and environmental fallout (military emissions, war damage excluded from climate frameworks) shows major policy gaps.
• Outdated structure (1945), P5 veto blocking action (Israel-Hamas), and exclusion of major powers (India, Brazil) reflect power imbalance and lack adaptation to modern challenges.
• Rise of minilateral forums (Quad, BRICS) bypasses UN framework, weakening its legitimacy, transparency, and representation.
• Chronic underfunding due to delayed/cut contributions (US to UNRWA) hinders peacekeeping, climate resilience, and aid efforts.
• Crucial reforms include reforming veto power (limit unilateral use, GA override) for transparency and accountability.
• Expanding Security Council permanent membership (India, Brazil, etc.) and adding rotating seats for vulnerable states enhances equity and representation.
• Mandating military emissions reporting (UNFCCC) and setting decarbonization targets addresses climate impact of conflict.
• Establishing automatic funding mechanisms and exploring global taxes ensures stable resources for UN activities.
• Implementing fair decision-making processes (universal jurisdiction for war crimes, ‘veil of ignorance’) minimizes bias and self-interest.
• Strengthening partnerships with regional organizations (AU, EU) improves effectiveness in addressing regional conflicts.

PDS Digital Enhancement

• Union Minister launched three digital initiatives: Depot Darpan Portal, Anna Mitra Mobile App, and Anna Sahayata Grievance Redressal System.
• These initiatives aim to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility within India’s Public Distribution System (PDS).
• They are designed to benefit over 81 crore people under the National Food Security Act and streamline operations for stakeholders like FCI, CWC, FPS dealers, and government officials.
• Depot Darpan Portal: A self-assessment and monitoring tool for FCI/CWC food grain depots using tech like IoT and CCTV. This is key as it helps optimize storage, evaluate performance, identify infrastructure gaps, and is projected to create significant savings (₹275 cr for FCI) and generate revenue (₹140 cr for CWC) by improving depot management.
• Anna Mitra App: A mobile app for FPS dealers, District Food & Supply Officers (DFSOs), and Food Inspectors with role-based functions. This enhances transparency and accountability at the distribution level by allowing tracking of stock, sales, inspections, and grievance handling.
• Anna Sahayata Platform: A grievance redressal system for beneficiaries (NFSA/PMGKAY). It is important because it uses accessible channels like WhatsApp, IVRS, and ASR, making it easier for over 81 crore people to register complaints, thereby improving accountability and efficiency in addressing beneficiary issues.
• The initiatives are aligned with the Digital India vision, aiming to leverage technology for good governance and ensuring welfare schemes reach the most vulnerable.
• Pilots for Anna Mitra (4 states) and Anna Sahayata (5 states) are underway, with plans for pan-India deployment and integration with state systems.

KATRIN

• What Happened: The KATRIN experiment in Germany set a new world record for the smallest upper limit on the mass of the electron neutrino.
• Key Result: The electron neutrino mass is less than 0.45 eV/c² (at 90% confidence).
• How it Works: KATRIN measures the energy spectrum of electrons from tritium decay. By analyzing the highest energy electrons, it can determine the neutrino mass.
• Why it’s Significant: This is the most precise direct and model-independent measurement of neutrino mass so far.
• Why Neutrino Mass Matters: Neutrinos having mass is crucial for understanding physics beyond the Standard Model and explaining aspects like cosmic evolution and matter-antimatter asymmetry. Direct measurement like KATRIN’s avoids theoretical dependencies found in cosmological estimates.
• Future: KATRIN continues data collection to improve sensitivity further, potentially opening doors to new physics.

Ag: Women’s Power

• The UN declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer to recognize their vital, underappreciated role and highlight challenges.
• Agriculture is experiencing ‘feminisation’ as men migrate, leaving women to take on multiple roles as cultivators, labourers, and managers.
• Despite high participation (e.g., 80% economically active women in agri, 64.3% female workers per PLFS 22-23), women own only a small percentage of land (12.8% operational holdings, 8.3% NFHS-5), showing a significant gender disparity.
• Limited land ownership is a major barrier, preventing women from accessing essential credit, insurance, and government subsidies.
• Poor access to information and technology, like mobile advisories, limits technology adoption and hinders resilience-building among women farmers.
• Women face higher climate vulnerability due to added domestic responsibilities, fewer resources, and disproportionate exposure to risks in agriculture.
• Government initiatives like MKSP, machinery subsidies (50-80%), budget allocations (e.g., 30% in NFSM), and promotion of SHGs (NMNF) aim to empower women by upgrading skills, providing financial support, promoting technology, and improving access to resources and extension services (ATMA, AC&ABC subsidy 44%).
• The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is used to measure women’s empowerment, agency, and inclusion, helping identify barriers and link empowerment to food security and growth.
• Gender-sensitive policies, support for women-managed value chains/SHGs, and investment in climate resilience are crucial steps forward to address the specific needs of women farmers.
• Empowering women in agriculture is key to ensuring food security, climate resilience, and achieving overall gender equality and sustainable development in the sector.

BHASHINI

• BHASHINI (Digital India Bhashini Division – DIBD) and CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) signed an MoU.
• Objective is to develop and deploy next-generation multilingual AI solutions for Indian Railways’ digital platforms.
• Integrates BHASHINI’s language AI technologies (ASR, Text-to-Text Translation, TTS, OCR) into CRIS systems like NTES and RailMadad.
• Enables access to railway services and information in 22 Indian languages across mobile apps, websites, kiosks, and call centers.
• Why it’s news: It removes language barriers for millions of railway passengers, enhancing digital access and inclusion, particularly for non-English speakers.
• Includes the introduction of multilingual chatbots, voice assistants, and real-time voice interaction systems for passenger support.
• Supports the Digital India mission by facilitating citizen-centric digital transformation in public services.
• Leverages BHASHINI’s role as the implementer of the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM) to build indigenous language AI capabilities.

UNFPA Report

• India most populous country: Reached 1.4639 billion population in 2025, surpassing others officially. This marks a major demographic milestone with long-term implications.
• Low fertility rate: Fertility rate is 1.9 births per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1. Shows a significant drop from the 1960s due to education, healthcare, and empowerment.
• Demographic dividend opportunity: 68% of the population is in the 15-64 working-age group. Offers economic potential if employment and skilling are effectively managed.
• Unmet reproductive needs: 36% experience unintended pregnancies, 30% report unmet desires. Indicates ongoing inequality in access and reproductive autonomy despite falling fertility.
• Policy shift urged: Report advocates moving from population control to focusing on reproductive rights. Empowering individuals with informed choices is key to realizing the demographic dividend.
• Population peak expected: India’s population is projected to peak around 1.7 billion in the early 2060s before declining. Shows the long-term trajectory after current growth phase.

TN 800-Yr Shiva Temple

• An 800-year-old Shiva temple from the later Pandya period (1216–1345) was discovered in Udampatti village, Tamil Nadu.
• Why: It offers significant insights into the region’s history and socio-economic dynamics during that era.
• Identified as Thennavanisvaram temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, dated to 1217–1218 CE during Maravarman Sundara Pandya’s reign based on inscriptions and Shilpa Sastram.
• Why: Confirms the temple’s identity, age, and indicates royal support (“Thennavan” title used by Pandyas).
• Inscriptions record the sale of a waterbody and mention that the land tax was to be paid to the temple deity.
• Why: These details reveal the ancient name of the village (Attur) and show the temple’s mechanism for financial independence through land endowments.
• The discovery is significant as many ancient temples previously documented in this area are now in ruins or have disappeared.
• Why: Provides a tangible link to a historical site that was previously only partially known or in decline.

SC/ST Progress

• What: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment held its 28th Coordination Committee meeting.
• Why: To devise strategies to curb untouchability offences and atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
• Key Focus: Discussion on the implementation and shortcomings of existing laws like the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• Meeting Discussions: Covered issues like charge sheet rates, case pendency in courts, status of Exclusive Special Courts, Vigilance & Monitoring Committee meetings, grievances on the National Helpline, and action plans for improving law implementation.
• Ministerial Emphasis: Union Ministers stressed the importance of regular State/District level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meetings, taking measures against exploitation, increasing Special Police Stations, and fixing accountability for negligent officials under the PoA Act.
• Government Commitment: The meeting reaffirmed the government’s resolution to provide dignity to vulnerable sections and a commitment from participants to uphold the spirit of the Acts and deliver justice to victims of caste-based discrimination.
• Background: The committee was established in 2006 to find ways to curb atrocities and ensure effective administration of the PCR and PoA Acts.

Dollar Floored 2025

• The U.S. dollar has fallen nearly 10% in 2025, making it one of the weakest major assets.
• Why: Global investors significantly increased hedging against their U.S. asset holdings, reducing demand for the dollar.
• Why: Confidence in the U.S. economic narrative has decreased due to shifting policies and trade tensions, leading to “fading U.S. exceptionalism.”
• Why: The typical correlation broke, with both the dollar and U.S. stocks falling together, weakening the dollar’s status as a portfolio hedge.
• Why: Large foreign pension funds sharply increased currency hedges on U.S. assets, causing massive dollar outflows.
• Why: Persistent geopolitical tensions, especially U.S.-China, increased foreign investor caution and accelerated capital outflows from the U.S.

Tech Textiles

• India’s Technical Textiles sector is experiencing rapid growth and attracting significant attention, highlighted by PM Modi sharing an article on its progress. This indicates a strategic focus on a high-value, innovation-driven industry.
• Two major government initiatives, the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, are key drivers behind this transformation. These programs aim to make India a global leader in this segment.
• The sector shows tangible progress with a projected 10% annual domestic market growth, attracting ₹5,218 crore in total investment, and generating over 8,500 jobs by 2025. These metrics demonstrate the success of the government’s efforts.
• NTTM has actively built the ecosystem by supporting research (168 projects), skill development (50,000+ trained), and market expansion through mandated use of technical textiles in public projects. This strengthens the domestic base.
• The PLI scheme focuses on boosting domestic manufacturing of high-value products like carbon fiber and automotive safety textiles to reduce import dependence and enhance global competitiveness. This targets critical areas for self-reliance.
• The sector is becoming crucial for India’s strategic interests across defence, infrastructure, health, and sustainability, signifying its importance beyond just economic growth as it transitions from import-dependent to self-reliant and competitive.

Ax-4 Mission

• First Indian astronaut on a private mission to ISS: Why: Marks a historic moment for India’s human spaceflight program and is a key outcome of the India-USA strategic partnership.
• Multinational crew including India, Poland, and Hungary: Why: Underlines the diverse nature of participation and fosters global cooperation in space exploration, with some nations returning to space after 40 years.
• Advances commercial spaceflight: Why: Demonstrates the viability of commercial space stations as platforms for business and research and promotes commercial activities in low Earth orbit.
• Focus on extensive scientific research: Why: Conducts experiments in areas like health, materials science, and space technology vital for understanding space environments and benefiting future missions.
• Specific experiments for ISRO: Why: Provides a first-time opportunity for ISRO to run customised tech and life sciences experiments in space, generating results relevant for Gaganyaan and future deep-space missions.
• Significant for India’s space future: Why: Serves as a crucial stepping stone towards India’s Human Moon mission by 2040, aids in establishing an Indian space station, and encourages private sector participation.
• Positions India in the new space age: Why: Provides tangible knowledge, operational experience, and global visibility, strengthening India’s scientific, strategic, and economic standing in space.

Axiom-4 Tardigrade Test

• ISRO is sending tardigrades (water bears) aboard the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station.
  • Why in News? This is a key experiment for ISRO, part of the mission involving Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, to study how these extremely hardy microscopic organisms survive in the extreme environment of space, validating research for the Gaganyaan mission.
• Tardigrades are known for surviving extreme conditions like vacuum, radiation, and vast temperature ranges.
  • Why in News? Their extraordinary resilience makes them ideal subjects for testing the limits of life in space, advancing astrobiology research and providing insights into survival mechanisms applicable elsewhere.
• Studying tardigrade behaviour and response in space.
  • Why in News? Research on their unique survival mechanisms (like cryptobiosis and protective proteins) could potentially lead to breakthroughs like climate-resilient crops, advanced UV protection, and improved organ preservation, feeding into India’s future scientific needs.
• This experiment strengthens Indo-US space collaboration through the ISRO-NASA partnership.
  • Why in News? Conducting critical experiments like tardigrade studies together validates research and positions India as a key player in future space exploration and commercial space stations.

India SEZ Reforms

• Ministry of Commerce & Industry amended SEZ Rules, 2006 to boost investment in semiconductor and electronics component manufacturing. Why: These sectors are capital-intensive, import-dependent, and require long gestation periods.
• Minimum land requirement for SEZs in these sectors reduced from 50 Ha to 10 Ha. Why: Lowers entry barriers and facilitates unit setup.
• Board of Approval can relax encumbrance-free land rule if land is mortgaged/leased to government agencies. Why: Offers greater flexibility in land acquisition and financing.
• Free-of-cost goods can be included in Net Foreign Exchange (NFE) calculations. Why: Improves the SEZ unit’s NFE performance by adding value to exports or subtracting from imports.
• SEZ units can supply to Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) after paying duties. Why: Enhances viability by accessing the Indian market and reducing export dependence.
• These changes aim to boost high-tech manufacturing, spur the semiconductor ecosystem, and create high-skilled jobs.
• Following amendments, Micron will develop a semiconductor SEZ in Sanand, Gujarat (37.64 Ha, Rs 13,000 cr investment).
• Aequs Group will set up an electronics component SEZ in Dharwad, Karnataka (11.55 Ha, Rs 100 cr investment).

Himalayan Rail Marvels

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab rail bridge and Anji Khad bridge in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Chenab Rail Bridge is the world’s highest railway arch bridge, standing 359 metres tall over the Chenab River in Reasi district.
• It is designed for high durability, able to withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes, significant blasts, extreme temperatures, and high winds.
• A unique feature is its ability to remain operational at reduced speed even if one pier fails.
• It was constructed by Konkan Railway Corporation, with design and analysis contributions from IISc Bengaluru, IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, and DRDO (blast-proof).
• Anji Khad bridge is India’s 1st cable-stayed rail bridge and the country’s 2nd-highest railway bridge (after Chenab) over the Anji River.
• Both bridges are part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
• Their significance lies in providing crucial all-weather rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of India.
• The inauguration marks a historic milestone in India’s infrastructure development.

Giant Planet Red Dwarf

• Astronomers discovered a Saturn-sized gas giant planet orbiting the red dwarf star TOI-6894, based on data from NASA TESS and the VLT.
• This is significant because TOI-6894 is the smallest-known star (~21% of the Sun’s mass) found to host such a large planet, challenging existing planetary formation theories which suggest small stars should only form rocky planets.
• The finding implies there might be more giant planets in the galaxy than expected, given that red dwarfs like TOI-6894 are the most common star type.
• The planet, TOI-6894b, orbits very quickly (every three days) and is relatively cool (<150°C), making it a unique target for study.
• Its cooler temperature makes atmospheric analysis easier, potentially allowing the detection of chemicals like ammonia using the James Webb Space Telescope, which could provide unprecedented insights into exoplanet composition.
• Discoveries like this help astronomers test and refine models of how planetary systems form, improving our understanding of our own solar system’s origins.

Drone Warfare

• Drones are now a decisive tool in modern warfare, notably in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• They are projected to be responsible for 60–70% of damage to Russian military equipment by 2025 due to their dominant battlefield role.
• Ukraine mass-produces affordable FPV drones (approx. 200,000/month at $200–$400), making them highly effective and cost-efficient against expensive Russian assets like tanks.
• Ukrainian drones have advanced capabilities, serving multiple roles including bombing, reconnaissance, relay, and AI-enabled targeting, demonstrating high adaptability.
• Strategic innovations like Ukraine’s GOGOL-M “mothership” drone extend reach up to 300 km for deep strikes using smaller FPVs.
• Russia has developed counter-drones like the EW-resistant Tyuvik and fiber-optic models, but faces challenges, such as AI issues in Lancet-3.
• Naval drones like Ukraine’s Magura V7 have expanded drone warfare, reportedly achieving unprecedented feats like downing aircraft.
• Tactical evolution includes Ukraine employing “drone walls” and conducting long-range strikes against enemy infrastructure.
• The conflict’s drone impact is reshaping global military doctrine, prompting countries to prioritize drone and counter-drone strategies.

Axiom Mission 4

• Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut mission to the ISS organized by Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX, is launching. This is news as it represents continued commercial spaceflight to the station.
• The launch, initially set for June 10, 2025, was postponed due to poor weather and is now scheduled for June 11, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The delay and new time are key news updates.
• The crew includes astronauts from India (Shubhanshu Shukla), Poland (Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski), and Hungary (Tibor Kapu), marking their nations’ first involvement in an ISS mission and return to government-sponsored spaceflight after four decades. This international participation and historical context are significant news points.
• The mission will conduct over 60 experiments in various scientific fields and promote international cooperation during its ~14-day duration. The scientific goals and collaboration aspect make it newsworthy under science and technology.

India Food Safety Progress

• India shifted from adulteration control to a science-based, consumer-focused food safety system under FSSAI (why: to align with global standards and protect consumers).
• Standards are now risk-based and align with global benchmarks (why: to define clear limits for residues and additives).
• Scientific studies like Total Diet Studies are being conducted (why: to reflect local diets and exposures).
• Regulations are increasingly matching international norms (why: for global harmonization).
• Digital platforms like FoSCoS manage licensing and compliance (why: for oversight and efficiency).
• Training programs like FoSTaC enhance industry standards (why: to ensure food handlers are certified and knowledgeable).
• Public campaigns like Eat Right India and SNF promote healthy and safe diets (why: to transform the food system and spread awareness).
• Sustainability initiatives like RUCO and Jaivik Bharat are in place (why: to address broader health, environmental goals, and promote authentic organic food).
• Challenges include data gaps, poor risk communication, and a trust deficit (why: require India-specific studies, simpler language, and more transparency).

Goa Fully Literate

• Goa has been declared fully functionally literate under the Ministry of Education’s ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram programme on May 30, 2025.
  • Why: This is a significant milestone marking a step towards India’s goal of achieving full literacy by 2030 as envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The state crossed the nationally prescribed 95% benchmark for full functional literacy, confirmed by a state-level ULLAS survey, although its general literacy rate was 93.60% (PLFS 2023-24).
  • Why: Achieving the specific functional literacy benchmark of 95% under the ULLAS program is the criteria for this declaration; Goa is the second state after Mizoram to do so.
• The achievement was facilitated by a “Whole-of-Government” approach, collaborating across multiple state departments and engaging volunteer-driven campaigns.
  • Why: Highlights the effective strategies like inter-departmental cooperation and community volunteerism that contributed to identifying non-literates and ensuring certification.
• ULLAS is a centrally sponsored scheme (2022-2027) focused on empowering adults aged 15+ by providing foundational literacy, numeracy, critical life skills, basic education, vocational skills, and continuing education through volunteerism and technology like the DIKSHA platform and ULLAS app.
  • Why: This national program provides the framework, resources, and assessment mechanisms (like FLNAT) that enabled Goa’s success in reaching underserved populations.
• Goa’s success sets a precedent and serves as a beacon of progress for other states.
  • Why: Demonstrates the potential of implementing the ULLAS program effectively through collaboration and volunteer effort, inspiring others towards achieving the national goal of “Jan-Jan Sakshar”.

Great Indian Bustard

• Rajasthan Forest Department named four Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks Sindoor, Vyom, Mishri, and Sophia. This is news because it honours Operation Sindoor and military personnel, linking wildlife conservation with national interest.
• The GIB is critically endangered, India’s most threatened bird, and Rajasthan’s state bird. Its global population is estimated to be fewer than 150, highlighting the urgency of conservation efforts.
• Major threats contributing to its decline include habitat loss and, significantly, collisions with power lines. This identifies the key challenges being addressed.
• Conservation efforts like Project GIB and captive breeding centers employing advanced technology (AI, incubators) are actively working to increase the population, especially improving chick survival rates.
• The GIB serves as an indicator species for grassland ecosystems, meaning its survival reflects the health of these crucial habitats.

Aizawl Rail Link

• Aizawl, Mizoram’s capital, has been successfully connected to the national railway network via the Bairabi–Sairang rail line.
• This makes Aizawl the 4th Northeastern state capital with rail access, following Assam (Dispur), Tripura (Agartala), and Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar).
• The formal inauguration is expected after June 17, following the final Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) inspection; a successful trial run occurred on May 1.
• The 51.38-km Bairabi–Sairang project faced significant engineering challenges due to Mizoram’s difficult terrain, involving numerous tunnels and high bridges (including one taller than Qutub Minar).
• Connecting Aizawl is part of Indian Railways’ broader, accelerated push to connect all Northeastern state capitals and enhance regional infrastructure.

Election Commission

• ECI faces scrutiny over election conduct: Why? Concerns raised by opposition (Rahul Gandhi) regarding potential anomalies in voter rolls and turnout in recent polls, challenging the transparency of the process.
• Debate on voter roll integrity and turnout: Why? Claims of unexplained spikes in voter rolls and high turnout post-5 p.m. during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls have prompted calls for thorough verification by the ECI.
• Transparency in election processes questioned: Why? Issues like limited access to CCTV footage of polling stations fuel concerns about the ECI’s openness and handling of election-related data.
• Appointment process of ECI members changed: Why? A new law (2023 Act) replaced the Supreme Court’s interim collegium, altering how the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners are selected.
• Exclusion of CJI from selection panel: Why? The 2023 Act removed the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, leading to concerns about increased executive influence and potential impact on the ECI’s independence.
• Legal challenges to new appointment law: Why? The validity of the 2023 Act is being legally contested, highlighting ongoing debate about whether the changes weaken the ECI’s autonomy and credibility.
• Terms and conditions for ECI officials altered: Why? The 2023 Act set their salary equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary and restricted them to a single term, impacting their service structure.

Rare Earths

• China has restricted exports of rare earth metals and related magnets since April 2025, linked to trade tensions with the US.
• This has caused disruptions in global supply chains, particularly impacting the automotive sector.
• Suzuki suspended production of its Swift model in Japan due to shortages of parts like motors and sensors relying on rare earth magnets.
• Other automakers globally, including EV manufacturers, are facing similar disruptions and potential production delays or price hikes.
• Rare earth magnets, especially Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB), are vital for efficient EV motors and other car components.
• China has a near monopoly on the processing and production of these critical magnets.
• The export restrictions create difficulties in procurement, requiring special permits or forcing companies to consider buying entire motor assemblies.
• Countries like India are highly dependent on China for these materials, leading to industry discussions with the government to manage supply.

India’s Poverty Decline

• Extreme poverty in India sharply declined from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, according to World Bank estimates based on HCES data. This shows significant progress even with the extreme poverty benchmark raised to $3/day.
• Poverty measured at the higher $4.2/day threshold for lower-middle-income countries also fell substantially from 57.7% to 23.9%, indicating a broader reduction across income levels.
• These findings are backed by the new Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) 2022-23 by NSO, which are the primary data source for poverty estimates in India, filling a crucial data gap since 2011-12.
• Both monetary poverty and multidimensional poverty (MPI), measuring deprivations in health, education, and living standards, showed significant declines, suggesting improvements beyond just income. Inequality also declined.
• Continued progress requires improving data quality and frequency, expanding social security, focusing on urban poverty which is often overlooked, promoting inclusive growth through job creation, and ensuring data transparency for effective policymaking.

Accreditation Day 2025

• Event: World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2025 celebrated by the Quality Council of India (QCI) in New Delhi on June 9th.
• Theme: “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”. Why: Highlights accreditation’s strategic role in enhancing competitiveness, market access, and credibility for SMEs.
• Key Launches/Initiatives:
  • Revamped NABL Portal launched. Why: To streamline the accreditation process and enhance digital accessibility, especially for laboratories and MSMEs.
  • Gunvatta Samarpan initiative featured. Why: Encourages organisations to publicly pledge adherence to accredited standards, reinforcing commitment to quality.
• Accreditation’s Role: Formal verification of compliance with quality standards in testing, inspection, certification. Why: Crucial for Indian SMEs to access domestic and global markets, uphold quality, support exports, reduce rejection rates, boost productivity, and contribute to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat goals.
• QCI’s Role: As the national custodian of accreditation, QCI develops and manages the structure, working with boards like NABL and NABCB, and partners with global bodies (ILAC, IAF). Why: Ensures India’s quality infrastructure aligns with international benchmarks and provides reliable data for decision-making.
• Statements: Officials like the DPIIT Secretary and QCI Chairperson emphasized accreditation as vital for global trust and enabling MSME growth across sectors. Why: Reinforces the government and industry’s view on accreditation’s importance for trade, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Birsa Martyr Day

• Why in News: Prime Minister paid tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on June 9th, observed as his Martyr’s Day. The PM highlighted his dedication to tribal welfare and rights and his inspiring sacrifice.
• Who was Birsa Munda: A significant tribal leader, religious reformer, and freedom fighter from the Chotanagpur region.
• Known as Dharti Abba (Father of the Earth), he mobilised Adivasi communities against British colonial policies and exploitation by zamindars, focusing on land rights and social reform.
• He founded the Birsait religion, promoting monotheism, hygiene, and challenging superstitions and forced labour (beth begari).
• Led the Ulgulan movement (1895-1900), employing guerrilla tactics against British authority and advocating for a self-governed tribal state (“Birsa Raj”).
• Captured in February 1900, he died in British custody on June 9, 1900, at the young age of 25.
• His resistance was instrumental in the enactment of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908), which protected tribal land rights (Khuntkatti) and abolished forced labour.
• His birth anniversary, November 15, is celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day) since 2021.