- India signs 10-year agreement to operate Iran’s Chabahar Port, enhancing connectivity to Central Asia and Afghanistan.
- Gross FDI into India rose by 23% in April 2025 to $8.8 billion, with net inflows more than doubling, as per RBI data.
- India’s Fiscal Deficit for FY26 narrows to 5.1% of GDP, better than the budgeted 5.2%, indicating strong tax collections and spending control.
- ISRO successfully tests semi-cryogenic engine ‘SE2000’, key for upcoming Gaganyaan and future heavy-lift missions.
- WHO urges countries to tax sugary drinks, citing rising obesity and Type-2 diabetes; only 60 nations have such taxes.
- Government launches ‘Shri Anna Mission’ dashboard to track promotion of millets under India’s global millet campaign.
- Manipur gets ₹250 crore for rehabilitation, amid ongoing ethnic conflict and refugee crisis from Myanmar.
- India and the EU discuss Digital Partnership, focusing on data flow, AI ethics, and digital sovereignty.
- Centre sets up NCMC for Cyclone Remal aftermath, ensuring rapid inter-agency coordination and relief delivery.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) faces NEET paper leak allegations, leading to student protests and calls for a re-exam.
- India joins Artemis Accords, strengthening space cooperation with the U.S. and paving the way for lunar exploration.
- Centre clarifies NEP will not force 3-language formula, leaves language choice to states, respecting federal structure.
- Punjab reports significant groundwater depletion, raising sustainability concerns in paddy-dominated regions.
- National Highway toll collection via FASTag crosses ₹500 crore/day, showing digital adoption in the transport sector.
- SEBI proposes new rules for ESG funds, focusing on disclosure, greenwashing prevention, and investor transparency.
- India to host Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit in 2025, reflecting tech leadership aspirations.
- Tamil Nadu launches ‘Namma School App’, a digital platform for alumni contributions to government schools.
- Finance Ministry raises minimum threshold for TCS refunds, to ease compliance for small taxpayers.
- India’s sex ratio at birth improves to 924 (NFHS-6), showing a gradual decline in gender bias.
- RBI proposes guidelines on digital lending charges to cap service fees and prevent predatory practices.
- Supreme Court seeks Centre’s reply on electoral bond data audit, in a petition demanding full disclosure.
Geography & Disaster Management
- Cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh triggered flash floods and landslides; IMD defines cloudburst as ≥100mm rainfall/hour over a 20–30 km² area.
- Orographic lifting and intense convection are key causes of cloudbursts in the Himalayan regions.
- National Disaster Management Guidelines (2010) emphasize early warning and community awareness to mitigate cloudburst risks.
Governance, Polity & International Relations
- Gender imbalance in urban bureaucracy persists despite 46% women in local governance; only 14% of engineers and 11.7% of police are women.
- Zero-dose children in India number 1.44 million (2023), ranking second globally after Nigeria, indicating gaps in vaccination outreach.
- UN80 Initiative aims to reform the UN system by enhancing efficiency and realigning mandates ahead of the Charter’s 80th anniversary.
- The Banakacherla Project dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh highlights challenges in inter-state water sharing and federal cooperation.
- Parliamentary committees, especially Standing Committees, are key for executive accountability but suffer from low attendance and resource gaps.
- PM visits Cyprus after 23 years, renewing bilateral ties and strategic partnerships.
- Paris Agreement discussions at COP29 reopened on Article 9.1, demanding climate finance clarity from developed nations.
Economy, S&T, Environment
- RBI reduced the Priority Sector Lending target for SFBs from 75% to 60% of ANBC, easing pressure and enabling diversified lending.
- Modified CRISPR tool by Bose Institute enables heat- and disease-responsive gene activation in crops without DNA cutting.
- AI-powered ATMS deployed on Dwarka Expressway, improving traffic management through real-time monitoring and speed control.
- Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) is now mandatory for India’s top 1,000 listed firms for ESG transparency.
- Brent Crude prices decline amid reduced geopolitical tensions; it remains the global benchmark for oil pricing.
- Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) involves spreading crushed basalt to remove atmospheric CO₂ and boost crop yields.
- Weight loss drug ‘Wegovy’ (Semaglutide) launched in India, mimics GLP-1 to suppress appetite; joins Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) in the market.
- The International Potato Centre (CIP) South Asia office was approved at Agra to advance tuber crop research and climate resilience.
Environment, Mapping & Prelims Facts
- Tawi River, a Chenab tributary, saw flash floods in Jammu; its origin is in Kailash Kund glacier, revered as Surya Putri.
- Salkhan Fossil Park (U.P.) added to UNESCO Tentative List; one of the oldest stromatolite-rich sites (1.4 billion years).
- ISS mission Axiom-4, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, marks India’s human spaceflight revival after 41 years.
Indian in Space
- IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to enter the International Space Station (ISS) on June 27, 2025, as pilot of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), paving the way for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
- Ax-4 is a commercial mission by Axiom Space launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
- The capsule docked with ISS at 4:01 p.m. IST, with Shukla piloting the mission.
- He is one of the four astronauts selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission (first Indian crewed mission, expected in 2026).
- India paid ₹500+ crore to include Shukla and Prasanth Nair (backup crew) in Ax-4 as part of astronaut training and readiness.
- Experiments on board include eight scientific studies from ISRO.
- Training provided by NASA (USA) and Roscosmos (Russia) enhances India’s human spaceflight capabilities.
SCO & Counterterrorism
- India declined to endorse the joint statement at the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao after it excluded mention of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh demanding stronger language on cross-border terrorism.
- India objected to the inclusion of Balochistan references, while the Pahalgam attack (26 civilians killed) was omitted.
- The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
- Singh emphasized zero tolerance for terrorism, non-state actors, and proliferation of WMDs.
- India accused some SCO members (implied: Pakistan and China) of using terrorism as state policy and called out double standards.
- The event highlights ongoing diplomatic strain within the SCO over counterterrorism language and priorities.
CRVS Ministerial Conference, Bangkok
- Asia-Pacific nations committed to registering every birth and death by 2030 at the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Bangkok.
- As per ESCAP, 14 million children in the region still lack birth registration, and 6.9 million deaths go unrecorded every year.
- The CRVS Decade (2015–2024) has been extended to 2030, with a focus on digital transformation, legal reforms, and inclusive registration systems.
India-Specific Updates on CRVS:
- India increased birth registration from 86% to over 96% during the CRVS decade.
- Amendments to the RBD Act (1969) allow digital registration and electronic documents stored via DigiLocker.
- India’s CRVS portal now covers births of adopted, abandoned, surrendered, surrogate children, and children of single parents/unmarried mothers.
- Medical institutions are mandated to issue cause-of-death certificates, enhancing death registration reliability.
- India was praised for its leadership in digital CRVS systems by UNESCAP officials at the conference.
International Affairs & Human Rights
- UN Rights Chief Volker Türk called for a ceasefire in Gaza, citing that 598 people have been killed while accessing humanitarian aid as of June 25, 2025.
- Türk criticised the militarised aid distribution in Gaza, stating such mechanisms are inadequate and life-threatening.
Sri Lanka Visit by UN Rights Chief
- During his visit to Sri Lanka (June 23–26, 2025), Volker Türk welcomed the reopening of the Chemmani mass grave, highlighting the ongoing trauma of families seeking missing loved ones.
- Türk appreciated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recognition of shared national pain and the growing space for memorialisation.
- The UN Rights Chief urged repeal of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Online Safety Act, citing concerns over civil liberties.
- He stressed the need for a nationally owned, credible accountability mechanism in Sri Lanka, amid persistent surveillance of human rights defenders.
Human Rights & Economy
- Türk promoted the concept of a “human rights economy” in Sri Lanka post its 2022 economic crisis, focusing on equity, sustainability, and anti-corruption.
- He praised Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption initiatives and urged a transition beyond “identity politics” based on ethnicity, caste, or religion
Golden Jubilee Celebration: Department of Official Language New Delhi
Key Highlights:
- Promotion of Indian Languages:
- Amit Shah emphasized that India should aim to “think, converse and glorify” in its languages.
- Stressed the importance of Indian languages as the soul of the nation.
- No Opposition to Foreign Languages:
- Clarified that there is no opposition to foreign languages, but priority must be given to Indian languages in governance and public discourse.
- Indian Languages in Administration:
- Urged that Indian languages be used in both State and Central Government offices for administrative work.
- Hindi as a Link Language:
- Asserted that Hindi is not a rival but a friend to all Indian languages.
- Technical and Medical Education in Indian Languages:
- Technical education introduced in 12 Indian languages.
- Madhya Pradesh became the first state to start medical education in Hindi.
- Called upon other states to follow suit in providing engineering and medical education in their native languages.
- Youth-Centric Initiatives:
- Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag (Indian Languages Section) inaugurated to promote usage among teenagers and youth.
- Language as a Tool for Unity:
- Recalled how language was used to divide the country in the past.
- Urged using language as a means to unite India.
- Cultural and Historical Preservation:
- Stated that history and culture cannot be preserved without Indian languages.
- Advocated for keeping native languages alive and rich.
- Bhasha Sangam Initiative:
- Schools across India teaching students 100 commonly used sentences in 22 scheduled Indian languages.
- Hindi Shabdsindhu (Lexicon):
- A dynamic lexicon created to make Hindi flexible and comprehensive.
- Commonly used words from other languages are included and accepted as part of Hindi.
Kolhapuri Chappal vs Prada
- Kolhapuri chappal manufacturers have accused Italian luxury brand Prada of cultural appropriation, alleging its Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection sandals resemble GI-tagged Kolhapuri footwear.
- Kolhapuri chappals, made by over 20,000 artisans in Maharashtra, hold a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, signifying their unique heritage and craftsmanship.
- A delegation of Kolhapuri artisans met Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, urging state intervention against Prada’s alleged design copy.
- BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik announced plans to file a PIL in the Bombay High Court against Prada, citing the protection of traditional artisan rights.
- The Kolhapur District Footwear Association condemned the design’s alleged plagiarism, vowing legal action and petitions to the Collector, State, and Centre.
Jal Jeevan Mission
- Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil stated that the Jal Jeevan Mission has been delayed due to additional demand and insufficiency of groundwater sources.
- The mission, launched in 2019 to provide piped water to 19 crore rural households by 2024, has now been extended to 2028.
- Approximately 80% of rural households (15.6 crore) have received tap water connections as of March 2024.
- An additional 4 crore households have been added to the mission’s target, exceeding initial estimates and requiring expanded infrastructure.
- Groundwater limitations in some regions necessitated a shift to surface water sources, increasing the mission’s complexity and cost.
- The government has spent ₹3.6 lakh crore on the mission since 2019, with ₹70,000 crore allocated for 2024–25.
- Despite high allocation, only ₹22,694 crore was utilised till February 2025, showing a ₹50,000 crore underutilisation.
- The scheme aims to supply 55 litres per capita per day of BIS:10500 standard water to every rural household.
- The official target of 19.3 crore households remains unchanged on the mission’s website despite the addition of new households.