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 COâ‚‚ 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 COâ‚‚ 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).
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.
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 COâ‚‚ carbon sink by 2030. Why: Essential for meeting national climate goals and international commitments, helping offset greenhouse gas emissions.
