ONE-LINER CURRENT AFFAIRS
Indian Affairs (Polity, Economy, Governance)
- India evacuated 290 nationals from Iran under Operation Sindoor amid the Israel-Iran conflict.
- PM Modi visited Cyprus after 23 years, strengthening India-EU ties.
- Quantum 5G FWA launched by BSNL in Hyderabad — India’s first SIM-less 5G broadband solution.
- IPPB received the Digital Payments Award 2024–25 for driving last-mile financial inclusion.
- Finance Minister urged fintech firms to expand into rural India, citing potential in credit, agri-tech, and inclusion.
- HAL bagged ISRO’s SSLV Technology Transfer, becoming the first firm to build & operate SSLVs commercially.
- India imposed 5-year anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminum foil, Pretilachlor (pesticide), and Acetonitrile.
- CBIC’s National Time Release Study (NTRS) shows faster import clearance at ports; air cargo release down by 5 hrs.
- Goa’s Ghumot percussion instrument is at the centre of a heritage–wildlife conservation debate.
- PM Modi led the 11th International Yoga Day in Visakhapatnam, themed “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”.
- DGCA ordered disciplinary action against 3 Air India officials for systemic failures in pilot license management post-Ahmedabad crash.
- Farooq Abdullah threatened SC move if J&K Statehood restoration is delayed beyond 8 months of elected rule.
- Eight more families asked for DNA samples as the victim identification of the AI-171 plane crash remains incomplete.
- Odisha’s Balasore saw flash floods due to water release from Chandil Dam in Jharkhand, affecting 50,000 people.
- F-35 British fighter jet grounded in Thiruvananthapuram remains without clearance, and hangar use is under discussion.
- Tripura government gave jobs to 18 families of political murder victims, reviewing 39 such applications since 2018.
- Meitei group COCOMI demanded a farmer safety zone in Imphal Valley after a recent injury from gunfire.
International Affairs & Strategic Issues
- IAEA flagged damage to Iran’s uranium sites, raising nuclear safety concerns.
- Israel’s “Samson Option” nuclear doctrine back in focus amid Operation Rising Lion against Iran.
- UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2025: Global FDI dropped 11%, while SDG sectors saw -25–33% fall.
- Stablecoins regulation was passed in the US Senate under the GENIUS Act to ensure oversight of financial innovation.
- Fordow Nuclear Facility in Iran, deeply buried, is a key concern in Israel-Iran nuclear tension.
- Israel struck Iran’s centrifuge production facility in Isfahan, killing 3 commanders; IAEA confirmed no nuclear material at the site.
- Iran launched 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel in retaliation; over 722 people were killed in Iran, 24 in Israel so far.
- Israeli military asked to prepare for a ‘prolonged campaign’, targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
- Talks in Geneva between Iran and the EU failed; Iran refuses to negotiate with the U.S. until Israeli strikes stop.
- FATF report linked seized cargo (2020) to Pakistan’s National Development Complex, raising dual-use export concerns.
- Bangladesh’s Chief Election Commissioner admitted inability to hold elections without government help, raising transparency concerns.
Environment, Science & Tech
- India developed a scalable solar-driven device for affordable green hydrogen production using low-cost materials.
- Srisailam Temple copper plate (1456 CE) shows India’s first epigraphic reference to Halley’s Comet.
- CAQM to ban fuel refills for End-of-Life Vehicles in Delhi from July 2025 to combat pollution.
- Rajkot transformed a legacy dumpsite into an urban forest using the Miyawaki technique under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Oarfish (Doomsday Fish) caught near the Tamil Nadu coast; linked in Japanese folklore to natural disasters.
- Jumping Genes have been shown to affect genome expression during cell division in a recent study.
Education, Social & Gender Issues
- Panch Parivartan strategy by Vidya Bharati focuses on a 5-point reform for education by 2047 (Samajik Samrasata, Nari Samman, etc.).
- Gender parity shift in Class 12: In 2024, more girls passed science (28.14 lakh) than arts (27.24 lakh) for the first time.
- UN prequalified Lenacapavir as a new HIV prevention drug (PrEP); India has 2.5 million HIV+ people.
Important Places in News
- Fordow (Iran) – Uranium enrichment site at the heart of Israel-Iran tensions.
- Taiwan Strait (Formosa) – Site of rising naval and air tensions between China and US allies
International Yoga Day 2025
- PM Modi called yoga a “pause button” for humanity, promoting peace amid global unrest, at Yoga Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam.
- Theme: Yoga for One Earth, One Health — highlighting interconnectedness of human, environmental, and planetary health.
- PM said yoga transitions people from ‘me’ to ‘we’, reflecting India’s spirit of coexistence and social service.
- Over 3 lakh people participated, including Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu.
- PM lauded AIIMS research on yoga’s medical benefits, citing its role in improving cardiac, neurological, and women’s health.
- Through the National Ayush Mission, yoga and wellness are promoted nationwide via digital tools.
- PM emphasized India’s global branding through the ‘Heal in India’ campaign, making India a wellness destination.
Advance tax collections
- Advance tax collections rose by just 4% in Q1 FY26, compared to 27% growth in Q1 FY25, due to lower payments by non-corporate taxpayers and higher refunds.
- Corporate advance tax collection: ₹1.22 lakh crore (up from ₹1.15 lakh crore).
- Non-corporate advance tax collection: ₹34,000 crore (down from ₹35,000 crore).
- Direct tax refunds rose by 58%, causing net direct tax collection to decline by 1.3%.
- Contributing factors: capital expenditure (capex) benefits, new personal tax slabs from April 2025, and geopolitical uncertainty.
Net Interest Margin (NIM)
- Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is offsetting repo rate cut impact on Net Interest Margin (NIM) by increasing CASA share, reducing bulk deposits, revising term deposit rates, and growing MCLR-linked loan portfolio.
- RBI cut repo rate by 1% over 4 months, impacting banks with repo-linked loans (50% of IOB’s portfolio).
- CASA deposits maintained at over 43% to lower cost of funds.
- Bulk deposits restricted to 5–10% and taken only for short-term durations.
- Retail term deposit rates revised after latest 50 bps repo cut.
- IOB is increasing MCLR-linked loan share to reduce EBLR-linked rate volatility.
- FY26 targets: Credit growth 14–15%; Deposit growth 12–13% (vs 9.11% in FY25).
- Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) cut benefits will be visible from Q4 FY26.