Indian Society, Culture, History
- Total Revolution’s Legacy (1974): JP Narayan’s call for “Sampoorna Kranti” highlighted non-violent transformation across political, social, and economic spheres, influencing Indian democracy and leadership for decades.
- Sree Narayana Guru-Gandhi Dialogue Centenary: Celebrated their 1925 Sivagiri Mutt meeting advocating non-violence, social justice, and interfaith harmony.
- Tansen Controversy: The MP High Court denied cultural activity at Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus’s tomb, where Tansen, a Navaratna of Akbar, is also buried.
Governance, Social Justice, IR
- CDS Empowered for Joint Orders: For the first time, CDS can issue unified instructions for the Army, Navy, and Air Force to improve jointness and theatre command integration.
- NHRC’s 31st Foundation Day: President Murmu emphasized human dignity and prompt justice, while NHRC reaffirmed its commitment to protect rights.
- Chandigarh HC on Domestic Violence: Ruled that threats or insults alone, without physical or financial harm, aren’t sufficient grounds for domestic violence.
- Kerala HC on Electoral Candidates: Court disqualified a CPI(M) candidate for hiding a criminal case, reinforcing the need for transparent affidavits.
- Children’s Commission Guidelines: The NCPCR framed SOPs for inter-state transfer and repatriation of children under protection.
- Delhi Government’s Mohalla Bus Scheme: Launched 100 mini electric buses to improve last-mile connectivity in narrow lanes.
- SC on Bar Council Powers: Held that only State Bar Councils can verify law degrees, restricting BCI’s overlapping authority.
- NITI Aayog’s ‘Data Imperative’ Report: Emphasized quality data (accuracy, completeness, timeliness) to enhance governance and AI innovation.
- NAVYA Initiative: New skilling scheme under PMKVY 4.0 launched to upskill adolescent girls (16–18) in non-traditional sectors across 27 aspirational districts.
- Dharti Aaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan: Largest tribal outreach covering 1 lakh+ villages, aiming for welfare scheme saturation and cultural integration.
- Emergency@50: Marked 50 years since 1975’s Emergency, recalling the suppression of civil rights and subsequent democratic safeguards via the 44th Amendment.
- PM Visits Cyprus After 23 Years: Renewed diplomatic ties through high-level engagement and discussions.
- World Drug Day (June 26): Theme “The evidence is clear: Invest in prevention” highlights the need to shift focus from punishment to rehabilitation.
- India-UK Migration and Mobility MOU: Agreement to curb illegal migration and enhance student and professional exchanges.
Economy, Environment, S&T
- SDR 2025 Ranking: India enters top 100 (99th) in UN SDG rankings; Finland tops, while no SDG is on track globally.
- RBI Proposes Penal Charges Reform: Seeks to replace penalty interest with standard charges to enhance customer transparency and fairness.
- Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act 2023 Rules Notified: Emphasizes digital documentation and encourages AYUSH and traditional practitioners.
- India-Japan Military Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ Begins: Held in Rajasthan, focused on counter-insurgency and joint planning operations.
- E-Amrit Portal Upgraded: India’s centralized EV information portal revamped to guide users on vehicles, charging stations, and policy incentives.
- Green Credit Programme Portal Launched: MOEFCC initiated a carbon-neutrality scheme to incentivize pro-environmental behavior.
- India’s First Indigenous Hydrogen Train by 2026: Railways aim to launch the train as part of the green transition, to initially run on the Jind–Sonipat section.
- CEPA Talks Resume with Peru: India-Peru negotiations target enhanced trade in pharma, gold, and agriculture.
- India to Host 46th Antarctic Treaty Meeting in 2026: This shows India’s rising role in polar governance and environmental diplomacy.
- RBI Eases PSL Norms for SFBs: Priority Sector Lending norm for Small Finance Banks reduced from 75% to 60% of ANBC, freeing ₹40,000 crore for secured loans.
- Black Mass Recycling: TDB supports indigenous tech to extract critical minerals like lithium and cobalt from used batteries via dual-mode recovery.
- Epigenetic Breakthrough: Chinese scientists use DNA editing to produce fertile mice from two male parents, showing reproductive potential without females.
- BharatNet Revamp: Gujarat becomes the first state to implement the Amended BharatNet Project using a ring topology with the last-mile Udyami model.
- Coffee Export Boom: India’s coffee exports surged 25% in FY26 due to robust global demand, GI branding, and shade-grown farming advantages.
- NATO Sets 5% Defence Spending Goal: NATO plans to raise defence investment target from 2% to 5% of GDP, amid geopolitical tensions.
- Emergency Procurement (EP) Phase 6: MoD concludes sixth EP phase, allowing 15% of capital budget for rapid CT-related defence procurements.
Places in the News
- Prime Minister’s Museum & Nehru Papers: PMML seeks to return Nehru’s private papers, which have been held since 2008, citing the significance of national heritage.
- Kosi River Alert: Illegal sand mining in Uttarakhand’s Kosi river halted by HC, citing severe ecological damage; known as “Sorrow of Bihar”.
- South Africa–India Defence Ties: Submarine cooperation agreements were signed at the 9th JDC meeting; South Africa borders six nations and has three capitals.
- G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group: India pushes for a global framework to trace illicit financial flows, calling it a “core developmental issue”.
- World Bank ‘Groundwater at Risk’ Report: Warns that India may see up to a 40% groundwater drop in key farming regions by 2050.
- Amazon Deforestation Alert: Brazil and Colombia’s joint program shows early signs of success with a 50% reduction in forest loss.
Indirect Taxation
- The GST Council will consider reducing or phasing out the 12% tax slab in its upcoming July 2025 meeting, as part of rate rationalisation and simplification, and may also revise GST treatment for service intermediaries.
- Service intermediaries currently taxed at 18%, even for exports, may receive relief, potentially boosting B2B service sectors.
- Eliminating the 12% slab would leave four main GST rates: 0%, 5%, 18%, and 28%, excluding special rates (e.g., 3% on gold, 0.25% on diamonds).
- Some 12% items may shift to 5% (but with loss of input tax credit) or to 18% (in line with rising consumer income levels).
- Experts caution that shifting items to 5% slab may hurt manufacturers due to ineligibility for input tax credit (ITC).
- This meeting will be the first in over 6 months, despite the Council’s rule to convene every quarter.
Human Spaceflight
- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to reach space in 41 years and the first to board the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
- Ax-4 mission launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket on June 26, 2025.
- Shukla joins a four-member international crew, including Peggy Whitson (U.S.), Sławosz Uznański (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary).
- The crew will spend 14 days aboard the ISS conducting over 60 scientific experiments across 31 countries.
- Shukla’s message: “This is the start of India’s human space programme.”
- India’s last human in space was Rakesh Sharma in 1984 aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission.
Urban Biodiversity
- A study by IIHS found that Bengaluru’s bird biodiversity is higher in cooler areas with native tree cover, while heat islands and the spread of exotic species (77% of tree cover) harm urban ecosystems and reduce avian diversity.
- Urban biodiversity correlates more with tree quality (native species) than quantity; non-native trees like Jacaranda, Tabebuia are harmful to local flora and fauna.
- Heat islands in cities show lower bird species richness; green spaces must be ecologically informed.
- Restoration strategies must include historical land use, native grasses, shrubs, wetlands, and not just exotic tree plantations.
- Unscientific urban greening efforts threaten savannahs and wetlands, crucial for open habitat species.
- The study advocates for city-level biodiversity goals, equitable access to green spaces, and climate-resilient urban planning.
NATO Defence Commitments
- NATO leaders pledged to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, reaffirming their “ironclad commitment” to collective defence (Article 5), amid growing threats from Russia and pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.
- The summit was held in The Hague, chaired by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
- The 5% GDP spending target includes core defence and security-related expenditure.
- Review scheduled in 2029, post-U.S. elections, to reassess threats and progress.
- Spain, Belgium, and Slovakia raised concerns; Spain called the target “unreasonable.”
- Eastern flank countries (Poland, Baltics, Nordics) and major NATO powers (UK, France, Germany) have endorsed the hike.
- Trump’s past criticism of NATO’s “low-paying” members resurfaced, including against Spain and Canada.
- Support for Ukraine’s NATO path reaffirmed, though U.S. veto on immediate membership remains.
Rural Demand & Inflation
- RBI’s June 2025 Bulletin indicated a recovery in rural demand and broad-based agricultural growth, with headline inflation staying below target for the fourth consecutive month and May’s food inflation dropping to a 73-month low of 1.5%.
- India saw the highest expansion in activity among PMI-surveyed economies, especially in new export orders.
- Manufacturing capacity utilisation remained above the long-term average.
- Agricultural output increased across major crops in 2024–25.
- Consumer confidence remains stable, with improved future optimism.
- Risks ahead: global trade barriers, protracted policy uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions may threaten recovery momentum.
Digital Payments
- The IMF praised India’s UPI for transforming retail digital payments through interoperability and cheap mobile data, recommending similar infrastructure for countries shifting from cash to digital systems.
- IMF working paper “Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability” credits UPI’s success to:
- Interoperability across platforms and banks
- Low-cost mobile data
- Widespread banking and Aadhaar-linked digital identity access
- UPI is cited as a model for inclusive, scalable digital payment systems.
50 Years of Emergency (1975)
- Union Cabinet marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency (June 25, 1975) by passing a resolution to honour those who resisted the suspension of constitutional rights, calling it one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
- PM Modi termed the Emergency “Samvidhan Hatya Divas” (Constitution Murder Day).
- The Emergency (1975–77) led to suspension of fundamental rights, censorship of press, and mass arrests.
- The 42nd Constitutional Amendment was passed during the Emergency, later rolled back in part by the Janata Party government.
- The Cabinet observed two minutes’ silence in tribute to victims of the Emergency.
- The move is positioned as a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to democratic and constitutional values.