Smartkeeda presents

June 2025
Smart 350 News PDF
(PDF in English)

e
 INDEX
National & States Affairs ................................................................................................................................ 3
International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................27
Banking, Finance, Insurance & Economic Affairs ..............................................................................34
Defence Affairs..................................................................................................................................................63
Sports & Games ................................................................................................................................................68
Persons in News ...............................................................................................................................................79
Science & Technology ....................................................................................................................................80
Appointments & Resignations ...................................................................................................................89
Awards, Rewards, Recognition & Prizes ................................................................................................92
Schemes & Initiatives.................................................................................................................................. 100
Meetings, Conferences and Summits ................................................................................................... 106
Ranks, Reports & Surveys ......................................................................................................................... 108
Amount & Agreements ............................................................................................................................... 123
MoUs, Collaborations & Parterships .................................................................................................... 125
 National & States Affairs
1. Cabinet approved development of a 4-lane highway between Badvel & Nellore in Andhra | Cost – Rs 3,653.10
Cr - Length – 108.13 km | Mode – public-private partnership mode
• It will connect Badvel-Gopavaram Village (NH-67) to Guruvindapudi (NH-16) & provide connectivity in 3
industrial corridors of Andhra Pradesh:
- Kopparthy node on Vishakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor
- Orvakal node on Hyderabad-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor
- Krishnapatnam node on Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor
• Andhra Pradesh: Capital – Amaravati | CM – N Chandra Babu Naidu | Governor – Syed Abdul Nazeer

2. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs CCEA approved 2 multitracking projects to ensure seamless & faster
transportation of both passengers & goods. CCEA chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Ratlam- Nagda 3rd & 4th line in MP | Wardha- Balharshah 4th line in Maharashtra
• Total estimated cost – Rs 3,399 Cr | It will be completed by – 2029-30
• They cover 4 districts across Maharashtra & MP & will increase existing network of Indian Railways by ~176
Km
• ‘PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan’ – launched in Oct 2021 | Outlay – Rs 100 lakh Cr
- Aim: To revolutionise India’s infrastructure over next 5 years
- Developed by – BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications & Geoinformatics)

3. Prataprao Jadhav (MoS (I/C) for Ayush) – launched an online portal, “AyushSuraksha”
& a website ‘https://suraksha.ayush.gov’
- To strengthen consumer protection & regulatory oversight in field of traditional medicine
• It was developed with technical support of – Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS)
• ‘Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI)’ – operationalized in Jul 2010 by MoHFW
• AIIMS, New Delhi – established as National Coordination Centre for PvPI (NCC-PvPI)
• Later on Apr 15, 2015, National Coordination Centre was shifted from AIIMS, New Delhi to Indian
Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ghaziabad
• MoS (I/C) in AYUSH: Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao | Constituency – Mehkar, Maharashtra

4. Department of Posts (MoC) – unveiled policy document for “DHRUVA”, an initiative to build a national-level
Digital
Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- DHRUVA – Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address
• It introduces concept of ‘Address-as-a-Service (AaaS)’, a secure, user-consent-driven system
• Minister of Communications: Jyotiraditya M. Scindia | Constituency – Guna, Madhya Pradesh
MoS in Ministry of Communications: Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
7. Centre introduced revised age-based certification for movies to expand U/A category certification pertaining
to Unrestricted Public Exhibition with parental guidance
• Through a gazette notification, MoI&B information and broadcasting amended ‘Cinematograph
(Certification) Rules, 1983’
• 3 new sub-categories added include:
- U/A 7+ – suitable for children aged 7 years & above, and for those under 7 with parental guidance
- U/A 13+ – suitable for children aged 13 & above, and under 13 with parental guidance
- U/A 16+ – suitable for children aged 16 & above, and under 16 with parental guidance
• This sub-categorisation under U/A replaces earlier singular U/A classification applicable to children under
12 years
- Till now, movies could be classified under three categories – U, U/A & A (for Adults only)
• Certification of films is governed by – ‘Cinematograph Act, 1952’
• Government notified ‘Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023’ in 2023, followed by ‘Cinematograph
(Certification)
Rules, 2024’ in 2024
- 2024 Cinematograph Rules replaced ‘Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983’

8. Khichan (Phalodi) & Menar (Udaipur) – designated as Ramsar Sites, bringing India’s total to 91, highest in Asia
• Khichan Wetland (northern Thar Desert) – comprises 2 water bodies, Ratri nadi (river) & Vijaysagar talab
(pond), riparian habitat & scrubland
- It is famous for hosting thousands of migratory Demoiselle cranes
• Menar Wetland Complex – a freshwater monsoon wetland formed by 3 ponds, Braham talab, Dhand talab &
Kheroda talab & agricultural land connecting latter two
- It provides habitat for 110 species of waterbirds of which 67 are migratory
- Including critically endangered white-rumped vulture & long-billed vulture
• Rajasthan now has 4 Ramsar Sites
- Including – Sambhar Lake (Nagaur & Jaipur) & Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur)
• Keoladeo NP – listed in Montreux Record (threatened list) lists wetlands, along with Loktak Lake (Manipur)
from India
• Ramsar Convention – adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran | India joined it – in 1982
• Rajasthan: Capital – Jaipur | CM – Bhajan Lal Sharma | Governor – Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde

9. India – elected to Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of United Nations (UN) for term 2026-28
• UN Charter – established ECOSOC as one of six main organs of UN in 1945
- Other 5 – General Assembly, Security Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice & UN
Secretariat
• In Apr 2025, Permanent Mission of India at UN marked Dr BR Ambedkar’s 135th birth anniversary with a
special commemorative event at New York
- Theme – “The timeless appeal of Dr Ambedkar’s vision within the UN and beyond”
• Parvathaneni Harish – India’s Permanent Representative to UN
• HQs of UN ECOSOC – New York, US | President – Robert Keith Rae (Canada)
10.

11.

12. PM Narendra Modi – launched “Aravalli Green Wall Project”, a large-scale reforestation drive
• Aim: To restore the 700-km Aravalli Mountain range that spans across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, & Gujarat
• Nearly 42% of the 6.45 million hectares within the project’s 5-kilometer buffer zone suffers from land
degradation
• Aravalli Green Wall initiative – launched initially in March 2023
- It focuses on afforestation, reforestation, & the restoration of water bodies across 29 districts in 4 states
& Delhi
- The project, pegged at Rs 16,053 Cr, aims to create a buffer zone of 5 km around the mountain rang
- It also aims to develop around 1,000 nurseries to support continuous plantation drives

13. Govt amended Special Economic Zones (SEZ) rules to lower the minimum land requirement for
manufacturing units focused on semiconductors and electronic components
• New rule allows these units to be set up on just 10 hectares of land (from 50 hectares earlier)
- For multi-product SEZs in certain regions, the requirement has been reduced from 20 hectares to 4 hectares
• As per latest rule, a land that is mortgaged or leased to the central or state Govt, can be used for SEZ
development
• India launched ‘India Semiconductor Mission’ in 2021 (budget of ₹76,000 Cr)
14. Assam + Meghalaya = to set up a 55 MW Kulsi hydropower-cum-irrigation project
• Kulsi River (a tributary of Brahmaputra to west of Guwahati) – flows down from West Khasi Hills district of
Meghalaya
• It is a major nesting site for – Gangetic river dolphin
• Both states decided to erect boundary pillars in five of six disputed sites
• Assam: Capital – Dispur | CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma | Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya
• Meghalaya: Capital – Shillong | CM – Conrad Kongkal Sangma | Governor – CH Vijayashankar

15. Indian Railways announced to mandate e-Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal ticket bookings by the end of
June 2025 - To curb misuse & prioritize genuine passengers
• Account holders who link IRCTC accounts with Aadhaar will gain priority access during initial 10 minutes of
Tatkal sales
• HQs of Indian Railways – New Delhi | Chairman & CEO – Satish Kumar

16. Tata Steel SEZ’s Gopalpur Industrial Park (GIP) – joined “World Economic Forum WEF’s
Transitioning Industrial Clusters Initiative”
- To reduce CO2 emissions while driving economic growth & creating jobs | Located in – Ganjam, Odisha
- Being implemented with – Accenture & Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• GIP facilitates a total capacity of – >2 million tonnes per annum of green ammonia | Investment – >Rs 27,000
Cr
• HQs of Tata Steel Ltd – Mumbai, Maharashtra | MD & CEO – T. V. Narendran

17. Flipkart – made history by becoming the 1st major Indian e-commerce platform to receive Non-Banking
Financial Company NBFC licence from RBI
• The NBFC licence does not permit Flipkart to accept deposits but grants it the authority to provide credit
products, including personal loans and business credit.
• HQs of Flipkart – Bangalore, Karnataka | Chairperson & CEO – Kalyan Krishnamurthy

18. Delhi Govt – to develop India’s first electronic waste (e-waste) eco park in Holambi Kalan
• The facility, spanning 11.4 acres, will be built under DBFOT model for a concession period of 15 years
• It will be designed to process up to 51,000 tonnes of e-waste | The park is expected to generate over ₹350 Cr
in revenue
• Delhi: CM – Rekha Gupta | Lt. Governor – Vinai Kumar Saxena | Chief Secretary – Dharmendra
19. Indian government is considering establishment of large home-grown CA firms comparable to ‘Big Four’ -
Deloitte, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), EY (Ernst & Young), and KPMG
• For this, government decided to set up a panel chaired by – Deepti Gaur Mukherjee (Corporate Affairs
Secretary)
• Currently, Big Four along with Grant Thornton & BDO dominate Indian audit ecosystem
• Combined revenue of Indian affiliates of Big Four alone in FY25 – may exceeded as much as Rs 45,000 Cr
 20. Droupadi Murmu notified 4 regulations for UT of Ladakh, defining new policies on reservation, languages,
domiciles & composition of hill councils for Ladakh, which became a UT in 2019
• 4 notified regulations were:
- The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025
- The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation & Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
- The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
- The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
• The Rules notified empowered tehsildar to issue domicile certificates
• Non-local residents must prove a continuous 15-year stay in UT, to be considered domiciles & eligible for 5%
quota in government jobs in UT
• Total government job reservation for EWS in UT now – 95%
• At least 1/3rd of seats in hill councils of Leh will be reserved for women, on a rotational basis across
jurisdictions
• Official languages of UT – English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti & Purgi
• Ladakh: Capital – Leh | Lieutenant Governor – B. D. Mishra

21. Dr L. Murugan (MoS for I&B & PA) – inaugurated “National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA)” for Puducherry
Legislative Assembly
• State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs
• Puducherry – became 19th legislature in India to adopt NeVA platform
• NeVA – a mission-mode project under ‘Digital India Programme’, funded through 100% Central Assistance by
MoPA
• Puducherry: CM – N. Rangasamy | Lt. Governor – K. Kailashnathan

22. The government of India amended the ‘General Financial Rules (GFR)’ for the procurement of scientific
equipment. As per the amendments, Vice Chancellors and Directors of various research and development
institutions will now be able to purchase scientific equipment and consumables for research purposes up to Rs 2
lakh without seeking any quotations, as against the earlier limit of Rs 1 lakh. The financial limit for procuring
goods by the Purchase Committee has been enhanced to Rs 25 lakh from the existing Rs 10 lakh. The financial
limits for procuring goods using the limited tender enquiry (LTE) and advertised tender enquiry have been
increased to Rs 1 crore from the existing Rs 50 lakh. Vice Chancellors and Directors have been designated as
competent authorities to approve the issuance of a global tender enquiry of up to Rs 200 crore for the
procurement of scientific equipment and consumables required only for research purposes. The amendments to
the GFR will apply to the departments of science and technology, biotechnology, scientific and industrial
research, atomic energy, space, earth sciences, and health research, including the Indian Council of Medical
Research. The DRDO, ICAR and its affiliated institutions and universities, and educational and research institutes
conducting post-graduate, doctoral-level courses or research under any ministry/department will also benefit
from the amended GFR.
Smart Points:
• GoI amended ‘General Financial Rules (GFR)’ for procurement of scientific equipment
• Vice Chancellors & Directors of various research & development institutions will now be able to purchase
scientific equipment & consumables for research purposes up to Rs 2 lakh without seeking any quotations
(from Rs 1 lakh)
• Financial limit for procuring goods by Purchase Committee – enhanced to Rs 25 lakh (from Rs 10 lakh)
• Financial limits for procuring goods using LTE & advertised tender enquiry – increased to Rs 1 Cr (from Rs
50 lakh)
• Vice Chancellors & Directors – designated as competent authorities to approve issuance of a global tender
enquiry of up to Rs 200 Cr for procurement of scientific equipment & consumables required only for research
purposes

23. India’s first Agri Hackathon – held in Pune (from June 1-3, 2025)
• Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Min. of AFW) – launched “Clean Plant Programme” to establish 9 horticultural
facilities - To provide virus-free, disease-free plants across country
• 3 of these facilities to be located in Maharashtra | Investment – Rs 300 Cr
- For grapes – in Pune | For oranges – in Nagpur | For pomegranates – in Solapur
• This initiative will get expert technical guidance from – Israel & Netherlands
• Investment for advanced nurseries: Rs 3 Cr – for large nurseries | Rs 1.5 Cr – for mid-sized nurseries
• Aim: To empower over 1 lakh farmers who can use technology to increase agricultural production • Prize
money: First-place – Rs 25 lakh | Runner-up – Rs 15 lakh
• Winners of Pune Agri Hackathon 2025:
Topic Project
JyoSH AI Solutions - AI Enabled Integrated
Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture Sector Agriculture
Robot for Cotton Cultivation Automation
Soil/water conservation, Irrigation, Soil health AutoFarm - Affordable, Solar Powered and Wireless
management Irrigation automation system
The Farm Guardian - Revolutionizing Farm
Farm Mechanization
Mechanization with a Multi-Utility Rover
Fertigation and Disease/pest management Team Pestosys LLP - Rat Run Green Bait
Post-Harvest Technology and Waste Hydro-NIR Technology (Millets Now Club)
Management
OriginHash - Blockchain-Powered Traceability for
Agri. Economics, Market linkages
Trusted Food
Any other innovation Avyuktam Innovations - Smart Pesticide Spraying
Bot
Due to the lack of satisfactory submissions, the
Energy juries have decided to withhold the prize for this
topic
24. Amit Shah (Min. of Home Affairs) – launched “Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag (BBA)” (Indian Languages Section)
- To provide an organised platform for all Indian languages
• Union Budget for FY25 set aside Rs 56 Cr to establish BBA for development of a platform to facilitate
translation of various languages into Hindi & vice-versa
• Aim: To facilitate seamless communication between Centre & non-Hindi-speaking states
• Centre for Development of Advanced Computing C-DAC – to develop a universal translation system for official
communication
• On Sep 13, 2024, Official Languages Rules specify Centre’s language of correspondence with Region A, B & C
States
- Communications from a Union Government office to Region C States shall be in English
• Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah | Constituency – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Home Affairs: Nityanand Rai & Bandi Sanjay Kumar

25. Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy has launched the “C CARES Version 2.0”, a web portal of the
Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO), developed and designed by the Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in collaboration with the State Bank of India (SBI). The current version of the
portal is developed with an aim to streamline the provident fund (PF)/pension disbursement by bringing the
coal workers, coal management and CMPFO onto a unified digital platform. The module will help to directly
disburse the PF money and pension into the account of the members of CMPFO. Currently, the module is rolled
out for 5 Regional Offices namely Regional office Godavarikhani and Kothagudem (SCCL), Regional office
Asansol-I(ECL), Regional office Bilaspur (SECL) and Regional office Nagpur (WCL). It will be extended to the rest
of the Regional offices of CMPFO from 1st July 2025. The C CARES Version 2.0 also has a mobile application for the
member where the member can view his own profile, employment profile, can track claims, raise grievances and
will also be able to view his updated PF balance. CMPFO is an autonomous organization under the aegis of the
Ministry of Coal established in the year 1948 to administer PFs and pension schemes to provide social security to
the coal sector workers. The Organization is presently rendering services to about 3.3 lakh PF subscribers and
6.3 lakh pensioners of the coal sector.
Smart Points:
• G Kishan Reddy (Min. of Coal & Mines) – launched “C CARES Version 2.0”, a web portal of Coal Mines
Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO)
- Developed & designed by = C-DAC + SBI
• Currently, this module is rolled out for 5 Regional Offices –
- Regional office Godavarikhani & Kothagudem (SCCL), Regional office Asansol-I(ECL), Regional office
Bilaspur (SECL) & Regional office Nagpur (WCL)
• It will be extended to rest of Regional offices of CMPFO from Jul 1, 2025
• HQs of CMPFO – Dhanbad, Jharkhand | Chairman – Vikram Dev Dutt | Established in – 1948
• Minister of Coal & Mines: G. Kishan Reddy | Constituency – Secunderabad, Telangana MoS in Ministry of Coal
& Mines: Satish Chandra Dubey
26. Rapido launched “Ownly”, a zero-commission food delivery platform
• Now, restaurants will pay delivery fees of: Rs 25 – for orders below Rs 400 | Rs 50 – for orders above Rs 400
- Rs 10 – for orders of Rs 100 & below | Delivery charges for customers – Rs 20
- Rs 25 plus GST – for orders above Rs 100
• It will not charge packaging costs & platform fees for customers (other than GST)
• Rapido is raising Rs 125 Cr from Nexus Ventures, as part of its Series E round
• HQs of Rapido – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CEO – Pavan Guntupalli | Established in – 2015

27. Kalimullah Khan (‘Mango Man’ of India) named a newly developed mango variety as ‘Rajnath Aam’
- Grown using grafting technique in Malihabad orchard, Lucknow | Named after – Rajnath Singh (Defence
Minister)
• Kalimullah Khan was awarded Padma Shri in – 2008
• He earlier named mango varieties after several prominent Indian personalities, including:
- Sachin Tendulkar, Aishwarya Rai, Akhilesh Yadav, Sonia Gandhi, Narendra Modi & Amit Shah

28. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs CCEA approved two multi-tracking projects of Ministry of Railways |
Total cost – Rs 6,405 Cr
- ‘Koderma–Barkakana’ doubling project | Length – 133 km | Through a major coal-producing region in
Jharkhand
- ‘Ballari–Chikjajur line’ doubling project | Length – 185 km | Through Ballari & Chitradurga (Karnataka)
& Anantapur (Andhra)
• These projects are part of ‘PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan’ for multi-modal connectivity
• developed as a Digital Master Planning tool by BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space
Applications and Geoinformatics).
• PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan – launched in Oct 2021 to revolutionise India’s infrastructure over next
5 years
- Investment – Rs 100 lakh Cr | Developed as a Digital Master Planning tool by BISAG-N
• Minister of Railways: Ashwini Vaishnaw | Constituency – Odisha
MoS in Ministry of Railways: V. Somanna & Ravneet Singh

29. An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London, carrying 242

passengers - 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into the
hostel of the BJ Medical College shortly after takeoff from the Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on June
12, 2025. Barring one survivor, a British national Vishwash Kumar
Ramesh sitting in seat 11A, no one else could be rescued. Former
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also on the plane and died in
this crash. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was bound for Gatwick
Airport, London, UK. It was also the 1st accident worldwide involving a ‘Boeing 787 Dreamliner’ since the aircraft
made its commercial debut in 2011. The Tata Group owns Air India. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau
has started an investigation into the Air India crash. The Bureau was established by the government of India on
July 30, 2012, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, to investigate mandatorily any air accident in India or
anywhere in the world involving an airline registered in India. The government of India has also set up a high-
level multi-disciplinary committee headed by Union Secretary Govind Mohan, to probe the crash. The American
Company Boeing is also investigating the Air India accident. The investigator will use the Air India plane’s black
boxes to decode what happened to it and determine the cause of the crash. In modern aircraft, there is a Cockpit
Voice Recorder (CVR) and a Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR). Generally, they are called black boxes even
though they are painted with bright orange colour. It was invented by Australian scientist David Ronald de Mey
Warren. The CVR records radio transmissions and other cockpit sounds, including conversations between pilots
and engine noises. The FDR records more than 80 different types of information, such as altitude, airspeed, flight
heading, vertical acceleration, pitch, roll, autopilot status, etc. In some aircraft, the two recorders are integrated.
The black boxes are designed to withstand high impact, fire and deep sea pressure, being made from robust
materials like titanium or stainless steel. These boxes are also equipped with a sonar that sends a signal for at
least 30 days if the plane crashes at sea. In 1963, after two fatal aviation accidents, Australia became the first
country to make flight recorders a mandatory legal requirement.
Smart Points:
• An Air India flight carrying 242 passengers (230 passengers & 12 crew members) crashed into hostel of BJ
Medical
College shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Jun
12, 2025
• Only survivor – a British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh
- Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani also died in this crash
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was bound for – Gatwick Airport, London, UK
• It was 1st accident worldwide involving a ‘Boeing 787 Dreamliner’ since its commercial debut in 2011 • Tata
Group owns Air India
• Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau – started an investigation into Air India crash
- Bureau was established by GoI on Jul 30, 2012, under Ministry of Civil Aviation
• A high-level multi-disciplinary committee – set up to probe this crash | Headed by – Govind Mohan (Union
Secretary)
• In modern aircraft, there is a Black Boxes = Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) & Digital Flight Data Recorder
(DFDR) - Invented by – David Ronald de Mey Warren (Australian scientist)
• These boxes are also equipped with a sonar that sends a signal for at least 30 days if plane crashes at sea
• Australia – became 1st country to make flight recorders a mandatory legal requirement in 1963
• HQs of Air India – New Delhi | MD & CEO – Campbell Wilson (subsidiary of Tata Group)

30. Bhagwant Mann (CM) & Arvind Kejriwal (AAP supremo) – launched 12 initiatives as part of ‘Punjab Udyog
Kranti’
• To revolutionise industrial growth in state, including action against officers & officials concerned in case
of any delay
• ‘FastTrack Punjab Portal’ – also launched to ensure all approvals for investors within 45 days of application
• Under Punjab Right to Business Act, 2020, eligible projects will receive in-principle approval within:
- 3 working days – for proposals located within Industrial Parks | 15 working days – for those
outside Industrial Parks
• Under new system, application will be reviewed online – within 7 days (from earlier 60-120 days range)
• Punjab: Capital – Chandigarh | CM – Bhagwant Mann | Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria

31. Maharashtra – to introduce a unique identification system for all public infrastructure assets (pilot in
Wardha district) - Statewide rollout scheduled for – 1 Oct 2025
• Each infrastructure facility will receive a geo-tagged 13-digit alphanumeric UIFID at the time of
administrative approval
- ID will include the state code, year of sanction, scheme abbreviation, district code, asset type, & serial number
• Nodal agency for developing & managing the portal – MRSAC
• All public infrastructure assets will be geo-tagged & digitally mapped
• No bill payments will be processed without mentioning the unique ID on the invoice
• Deadline to upload data on all infrastructure facilities created or completed between 2020 & 2025
– of 31 March, 2026
• Maharashtra: Capital – Mumbai | CM – Devendra Fadnavis | Governor – CP Radhakrishnan

32. Madhya Pradesh – launched a centralized web-based “E-Nagarpalika 2.0” scheme to computerize all urban
local bodies ULBs in state
• Aim: To promote transparency & efficient citizen services, aligning with Digital India vision
• It includes 16 modules & 24 citizen services, leveraging GIS integration, artificial intelligence & cloud services
• It is built on open-source technology & will be maintained by vendor for 5 years
• Dept also launched its website link – ‘https://www.mpurban.gov.in’
• Madhya Pradesh: Capital – Bhopal | CM – Mohan Yadav | Governor – Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel

33. Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan has inaugurated Garuda Aerospace’s new
‘Agri-Drone Indigenization Facility’ in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Spread across 35,000 square feet Garuda Aerospace’s
state-of-the-art Agri-Drone Indigenization Facility is India’s first-ofits-kind hub for the design, manufacturing,
and rigorous testing of advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The Minister also inaugurated 300 Centres of
Excellence (CoE) across India in collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners. The Minister
also flagged off Garuda Aerospace’s DGCAapproved ‘Train the Trainer (TTT)’ programme. The TTT program is
designed to empower educators and professionals to become certified drone instructors. Supporting this launch
were key members of the Bharat Drone Association (BDA). The launch also witnessed a live demonstration of
Agri-Drones by highly skilled Drone Didis.
• Kamlesh Paswan (MoS for Rural Development) – inaugurated Garuda Aerospace’s new ‘Agri-Drone
Indigenization Facility’ in Chennai, TN
• It is India’s first-of-its-kind hub for design, manufacturing & rigorous testing of advanced Unmanned Aerial
Systems - Spread across – 35,000 square feet
• He also inaugurated 300 CoEs across India in collaboration with academic institutions & industry partners
• He also flagged off Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-approved ‘Train the Trainer (TTT)’ programme
- To empower educators & professionals to become certified drone instructors
• HQs of Garuda Aerospace – Chennai, Tamil Nadu | CEO – Agnishwar Jayaprakash
• Minister of Rural Development: Shivraj Singh Chouhan | Constituency – Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
MoS in Ministry of Rural Development: Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani & Kamlesh Paswan

34. University of Aberdeen – became 1st Scottish university to receive nod for setting up a branch campus in
Mumbai, India - To be operationalised by – 2026
• University of Aberdeen – 5th oldest in UK | Founded in – 1495

35. Arunachal Cabinet declared 2025-2035 as “Decade of Hydropower” to harness state’s potential to generate
58,000 MW of electricity
- Headed by – Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh CM)
• Arunachal will receive: 12% – free power from each hydroelectric projects HEP | 1% – for a local area
development fund
• Arunachal expects Rs 4,525 Cr in annual revenue from 2035 onwards from projects in various stages of
completion
• Combined capacity of these projects – 19 GW of electricity | Cumulative investments – Rs 2+ lakh Cr in next
10 years
• Cabinet also approved creation of an escrow account for strategic management & effective utilisation of
revenue generated from proceeds of free power from these HEPs
• Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) – declared by centre in 2008 for 11,000 MW generation
- A counter to China’s proposed 60,000 MW project on Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet upstream
• Arunachal Pradesh: Capital – Itanagar | CM – Pema Khandu | Governor – Lt. Gen. Kaiwalya Trivikram
Parnaik

36. Defence Cyber Agency launched “Cyber Suraksha”, a multi-phased national-level cyber
security exercise
- Organised under – HQs Integrated Defence Staff | From – Jun 16-27, 2025
• HQs of DCyA – New Delhi | Head – Rear Adm Mohit Gupta

37. Amit Shah (Home Min.) unveiled 3 tech platforms to improve speed & precision of India’s disaster
management agencies
- Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER)
- Flood Hazard Zonation Atlas of Assam
- National Database for Emergency Management Lite 2.0 (NDEM Lite 2.0)
• ICR-ER – to prompt real-time response to disaster(s) across nation by streaming satellite data to rescue
agencies
• NDEM Lite 2.0 – to provide response forces spread across nooks & corners with agility to confront any
calamity as a single unit
• Assam: Capital – Dispur | CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma | Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya
• Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah | Constituency – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Home Affairs: Nityanand Rai & Bandi Sanjay Kumar

38. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare plans to launch “CROPIC (Collection of Real Time Observations
& Photo of Crops)”, a study to gather crop information using field photographs and AI-based models under the
‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)’. According to the plan, crops will be photographed four to five times
during their cycle, and the pictures will be analysed to assess their health and potential mid-season losses. The
study will be carried out for two seasons initially, kharif 2025 and Rabi 2025-26. The study envisages the
collection of field photographs during the crop season using the CROPIC mobile application, which has been
developed by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The photographs from the field will be
crowd-sourced directly from farmers. Then, they will be analysed for information including crop type, crop stage,
crop damage and its extent. Also, when compensation or insurance is to be paid to farmers under PMFBY, officials
will collect the photographs using the CROPIC Mobile App. CROPIC will be rolled out initially in at least 50
districts per season. These districts will be well distributed in different agro-climatic zones covering the 3 major
notified crops (notified crops are those covered under insurance schemes like PMFBY) in each district for each
season, initially. CROPIC is as of now under pilot studies for research and development of suitable photo-analytic
models. It is expected to be rolled out nationwide in 2026 for all major crops. The Fund for Innovation and
Technology (FIAT) under PMFBY will be used for funding CROPIC. The FIAT has a total outlay of Rs 825 crore for
different technology innovations.
Smart Points:
• MoAFW plans to launch “CROPIC”, a study to gather crop information using field photographs & AI-based
models
- Under ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ | CROPIC – Collection of Real Time Observations & Photo of
Crops
• Crops will be photographed 4-5 times during their cycle & pictures will be analysed to assess their health &
potential mid-season losses
• This study will be carried out for two seasons initially, Kharif 2025 & Rabi 2025-26
• CROPIC mobile application – developed by MoAFW
• It will be rolled out initially in at least 50 districts per season
• Fund for Innovation & Technology (FIAT) under PMFBY
– to be used for funding CROPIC
- Total outlay of FIAT – Rs 825 Cr
• Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Shivraj Singh Chouhan | Constituency – Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
MoS in Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare: Ram Nath Thakur & Bhagirath Choudhary
39. Delhi will launch its 1st pilot project for artificial rain through cloud seeding, or artificial rain, to tackle
pollution
• To be implemented with – IIT Kanpur & Delhi government’s Department of Environment | Outlay – Rs 3.21
Cr
• India Meteorological Department (IMD) extended formal support, confirming feasibility of project across
NCR
• Artificial rain – a weather modification technique that enhances precipitation by dispersing substances into
clouds - Like – silver iodide, potassium iodide, or dry ice
• As per CPCB & SAFAR, concentrations of PM2.5 & PM10 frequently exceed prescribed limits, pushing AQI into
‘severe’ category
- SAFAR – System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast and Research
• Aircraft for spraying this mix for artificial rain – to be developed by IIT Kanpur
- This mix includes tiny particles of silver iodide, powdered rock salt, iodised salt & a chemical to keep it
free-flowing
• IIT Kanpur – to monitor air quality in real-time using Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations
(CAAQMS)
• Delhi: CM – Rekha Gupta | Lt. Governor – Vinai Kumar Saxena | Chief Secretary – Dharmendra

40. MoTA launched “DhartiAaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan”, largest benefit saturation campaign in India’s tribal
regions
- Rolled out from – Jun 15-30, 2025 | It spans over 549 tribal-dominated districts & 207 PVTG districts
• It will provide access to essential services through benefit saturation camps as an initiative under Janjatiya
Gaurav Varsh
• It operates under broader framework of ‘PM-JANMAN’ & ‘DAJGUA’
- PM-JANMAN – Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyaan
- DAJGUA – Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan
• PM JANMAN – launched on Nov 15, 2023 (celebrated as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’)
- MoTA – nodal ministry for implementation of scheme from 2023-24 to 2025-26 | Outlay – Rs 24, 104 Cr
• DAJGUA (aka ‘PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan’) – launched on Oct 2, 2024 for 5 years (2024-25 to 2028-29)
• MoHA 75 tribal groups in 18 states & UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands as PVTGs
- Of 75 listed PVTGs, highest number are found in – Odisha (13) | Followed by – Andhra Pradesh (12)
• Minister of Tribal Affairs: Jual Oram | Constituency – Sundergarh, Odisha
• MoS in Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Durgadas Uikey
41. MoE constituted a panel to suggest measures to reduce dependency of students on coaching centres & assess
effectiveness & fairness of competitive entrance examinations
- Headed by – Vineet Joshi (Higher Education Secretary)
- Other members – Chairman of CBSE, Joint Secretary (Institutions), DoSEL, representatives of IIT Madras,
NIT Trichy, IIT Kanpur & NCERT & 3 school principals (one each from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya
Vidyalaya & a Private School - to be nominated by the Centre)
- Member Secretary of panel – a joint secretary from Higher Education Department
• Minister of Education: Dharmendra Pradhan | Constituency – Sambalpur, Odisha
MoS in Ministry of Education: Jayant Chaudhary & Sukanta Majumdar

42. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has handed over five hydrogen fuel cell-based buses in Leh,
Ladakh, to the State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO). This initiative represents the first-ever
commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered buses in India, and that too at the highest altitude anywhere in the
world, making it a globally significant milestone in green mobility. Smart Points:
• NTPC – handed over five hydrogen fuel cell-based buses in Leh, Ladakh
- 1st-ever commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered buses in India
• HQs of NTPC – New Delhi | CMD – Gurdeep Singh | Founded in – 1975
• Ladakh: Capital – Leh | Lieutenant Governor – B. D. Mishra

43. UP approved establishment of 2 new Rhino Rehabilitation Areas (RRA-3 & RRA-4) in Dudhwa National Park
in Lakhimpur
• These new centres - RRA-3 and RRA-4 - will follow the earlier models of RRA-1 and RRA-2 and facilitate close
monitoring of rhinos in semi-wild environments, enabling them to thrive naturally in their habitat.
• Rs 1.5 Cr – allocated for the project
• UP: Capital – Lucknow | CM – Yogi Adityanath | Governor – Anandiben Patel

44. Bihar State Election Commission – to roll out an “e-voting” system using an Android-based mobile
• Bihar – India’s first state to adopt this change in voting process
• Entire e-voting process will be executed through 2 mobile apps, ‘e-Voting SECBHR’
- One developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing C-DAC & another by Bihar State Election
Commission
• As per information available on e-voting process, Estonia – only country to roll out this
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Arif Mohammed Khan
45. Uttarakhand CM – launched the state’s first-ever “Yoga Policy” from Bhararisain On the occasion of the 11th
International Yoga Day
• Uttarakhand CM – also announced establishment of a ‘Spiritual Economic Zones’ in Garhwal & Kumaon
divisions
• Yoga services will be ensured at all AYUSH Health and Wellness Centers by March 2026
- 5 new yoga hubs will be developed across the state by 2030
• Establishment of yoga & meditation centers will be eligible for up to Rs 20 lakh in subsidies
- Research related to yoga & naturopathy will be granted up to Rs 10 lakhs
• Uttarakhand: Capital – Dehradun & Bhararisain | CM – Pushkar Singh Dhami | Governor – Lt. Gen. Gurmit
Singh

46. Swiggy – launched a new app, “Crew”, to tap into India’s growing premium consumer base
- Being developed under – Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd (Swiggy’s parent entity)
• Swiggy – launched ‘Pyng’, a professional services marketplace, currently operational in Bengaluru, in January
2025
• Swiggy – introduced ‘Assure’, in B2B segment, procurement platform for restaurants to source kitchen &
pantry supplies
• HQs of Swiggy – Bengaluru, Karnataka | MD & CEO – Sriharsha Majety | Chairman – Anand Kripalu

47. Annapurna Devi (WCD Minister) – launched a web portal named “Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub” -
Developed by – Ministry of Women & Child Development
• For FY26, Gender Budget allocation – ₹4.49 lakh Cr (37% increase over previous year allocation)
• Minister of Women & Child Development: Annapurna Devi | Constituency – Kodarma, Jharkhand
MoS in Ministry of Women and Child Development: Savitri Thakur

48. Tripura – became 3rd fully literate state, achieving a literacy rate of 95.6% | Previous 2 – Mizoram & Goa
- Reached through – ‘Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) - New India Literacy
Programme’
• As per UNESCO, states crossing 95% literacy rate would be declared as fully literate
• As per SDGs, by 2030, India aims to be a fully literate nation
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘ULLAS’ for 2022-2027 – launched by GoI
• Tripura: Capital – Agartala | CM – Manik Saha | Governor – Indra Sena Reddy Nallu

49. Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the “Central Board of Indirect
Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Conclave”. During the Conclave, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary
launched the ‘ICETAB’ device for export examination, which aims to reduce the transaction cost and turnaround
time for trade, thereby improving India’s ranking in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI). During the conclave,
the CBIC informed that the average time for grievance disposal has been reduced to just 9 days, placing CBIC
among the top 5 out of 90 Central Ministries in CPGRAMS rankings, the national average for Goods and Services
Tax Return (GSTR)-3B filing stood at 94.3% in FY 2024-25,85% of refunds claims were processed within the
statutory 60-day limit, the GST audit coverage rose from 62.21% in FY 2022-23 to 88.74% in FY 2024-25 and the
detected GST evasion grew to Rs 2,23,170 crore in FY 2024-25, with voluntary payments totalling 28,909 crore,
facilitation of cargo through the Risk Management System (RMS) has increased, to 86% in 2025, up from 82% in
2022, and in FY 2024-25, 2140.35 kgs of seized gold were disposed of by handing it over to SPMCIL. Further, the
CBIC was urged by the Union Minister of Finance to expedite the processing of GST and Customs refunds to
ensure timely redressal and ease of doing business, especially for MSMEs and exporters.
• Nirmala Sitharaman (Min. for Finance & CA) – chaired “Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC) Conclave”
• Pankaj Chaudhary (MoS for Finance) – launched ‘ICETAB’ device for export examination
- Aim: To reduce transaction cost & turnaround time for trade
• Average time for grievance disposal – reduced to 9 days | National average for GSTR-3B filing – 94.3% in
FY25
• CBIC – among top 5 out of 90 Central Ministries in CPGRAMS rankings
• GST audit coverage – rose to 88.74% in FY25 (from 62.21% in FY23)
• Detected GST evasion – grew to Rs 2,23,170 Cr in FY25 (with voluntary payments – Rs 28,909 Cr)
• Facilitation of cargo through Risk Management System (RMS) – increased to 86% in 2025 (from 82% in
2022)
• Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman | Constituency – Karnataka
• MoS in Ministry of Finance: Pankaj Chaudhary

50. Amit Shah (Home Minister) laid foundation stones in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh, for:
- National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus & a Central Forensic Science Lab
• Chhattisgarh Government – allotted 40 acres of land for NFSU campus | To be built a cost of – ₹400 Cr
• Central Forensic Science Lab – to come up on 6-7 acres of land near NFSU campus
• Chhattisgarh: Capital – Raipur | CM – Vishnu Deo Sai | Governor – Ramen Deka
• Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah | Constituency – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Home Affairs: Nityanand Rai & Bandi Sanjay Kumar

51. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has soft-launched its “Quantum 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)” service
in Hyderabad. With the Quantum 5G FWA, BSNL becomes India’s 1st telecom operator in India to offer a SIM-less
5G service - delivering gigabit-class speeds without the need for fibre cabling - built entirely on indigenous
technology from the 5G core and radio access network (RAN) to the end-user device. Built on BSNL’s Direct-to-
Device platform, the customer-premises equipment (CPE) auto-authenticates without a physical SIM-an industry
first in India. Further, initial testing in Ameerpet showed download speeds of up to 980 Mbps and upload speeds
of 140 Mbps, with sub-10 millisecond latency - ideal for UHD streaming, online gaming, and remote work. The
Quantum 5G FWA pilot will expand to 6 more cities - Bengaluru, Pondicherry, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Gwalior, and
Chandigarh - by September 2025. Introductory tariff plans are expected to start at Rs 999 for 100 Mbps and Rs
1499 for 300 Mbps connections. BSNL also plans to offer enterprise-grade network sliced 5G services tailored for
MSMEs and smart manufacturing clusters using the same standalone 5G core.
Smart Points:
• BSNL soft-launched its “Quantum 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)” service in Hyderabad
• BSNL – became India’s 1st telecom operator in India to offer a SIM-less 5G service
- Built entirely on indigenous technology from 5G core & radio access network (RAN) to end-user device
• It will expand to 6 more cities by Sep 2025 – Bengaluru, Pondicherry, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Gwalior &
Chandigarh
- Introductory tariff plans – to start at Rs 999 (for 100 Mbps) & Rs 1499 (for 300 Mbps)
• HQs of BSNL – New Delhi | CMD – Robert Jerard Ravi (additional charge)

52. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has constituted a Technical Expert Group
(TEG) under the chairship of economist Surjit S. Bhalla to guide the Ministry to conduct the first-ever nationwide
“Household Income Survey” in 2026. The survey will be conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
under the MoSPI. In addition to measuring household income, the proposed survey will also try to assess the
impact of the adoption of technology on wages. According to MoSPI’s latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data,
India’s per capita gross national income in 2024-25 was Rs 2.31 lakh in current prices, up 8.7% from 2023-24. In
addition to Bhalla and officials from MoSPI and other government ministries, the expert group comprises of
Aloke Kar, Sonalde Desai, Praveen Jha, Srijit Mishra, Tirthankar Patnaik, Rajesh Shukla, and Ram Singh. The
expert Group will provide guidance with regard to finalisation of concepts and definitions, preparation of the
survey method and instruments, sampling design and method of estimation, and incorporate best country
practices as adopted across the world. MoSPI, over the last couple of years, has conducted a variety of surveys to
shed light on different parts of the Indian economy in addition to the regular ones that are used to compile key
macroeconomic indicators such as GDP, Consumer Price Index, and Index of Industrial Production.
Smart Points:
• MoSPI constituted Technical Expert Group to guide to conduct 1st-ever nationwide “Household Income
Survey” in 2026 - Under chairship of – Surjit S. Bhalla (economist)
• Survey will be conducted by – National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under MoSPI
• As per MoSPI’s latest GDP data, India’s per capita gross national income in 2024-25 – Rs 2.31 lakh in current
prices - Up by – 8.7% in 2023-24
• It will comprise – Aloke Kar, Sonalde Desai, Praveen Jha, Srijit Mishra, Tirthankar Patnaik, Rajesh Shukla &
Ram Singh
• MoS I/C of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation: Rao Inderjit Singh | Constituency – Gurgaon,
Haryana
53. Ministry of New & Renewable Energy MNRE launched a Rs 2.3 Cr ‘Startup Innovation Challenge’
- Aim: To support breakthrough technologies that can enhance scalability & efficiency of rooftop solar
installations
• It will be steered by – MNRE | Implemented by = MNRE + NISE + StartUp India + DPIIT Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
• As per MNRE, solar energy now accounts for nearly half of India’s total renewable energy capacity
• As of Nov 2024, India’s solar power capacity – 92.12 GW (total renewable energy capacity - 203.18 GW)
• Solar energy’ contribution to India’s total energy mix in 2024 – 10%
• Minister of New & Renewable Energy: Pralhad Joshi | Constituency – Dharwad-Hubballi, Karnataka
MoS in Ministry of New & Renewable Energy: Shripad Yesso Naik
54. Adani Group – commissioned India’s first off-grid 5 MW green hydrogen pilot plant in Kutch, Gujarat
• Off-grid green hydrogen plant – a facility that produces hydrogen using electrolysis powered by renewable
energy sources & is not connected to main electrical grid
• Built by – Adani New Industries Ltd | Aligned with – National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), launched in
Jan 2023
• NGHM aims to achieve a production capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum of Green Hydrogen in the country
by 2030
• HQs of Adani Group – Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Chairman – Gautam Adani | MD – Rajesh Adani

55. Bihar government announced a slew of new measures – by Nitish Kumar (CM of Bihar)
- A hike in social security pension – to Rs 1,100 per month for 1.11 crore beneficiaries (from Rs 400)
- Wedding halls under ‘Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah Mandap Yojana’ – to be constructed in 8,053 gram
panchayats o Cost – Rs 50 lakh each | Rs 4,026 Cr – to be spent on this in different phases over 5 years
- It also approved Rural Development Department’s proposal to run Jeevika Didi Ki Rasoi at block-level
offices o Didi Ki Rasoi – to provide food at a subsidised rate of Rs 20 per plate
- It also approved enhancing bank loans for Jeevika – to Rs 10 lakh at an annual interest rate of 7% (from
Rs 3 lakh)
- It allows gram panchayats to take up works up to Rs 10 lakh under MGNREGA (from earlier limit of Rs 5
lakh)
- It also approved giving Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to next of kin of members of three-tier Panchayat Raj system in
case of their death during their tenure
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Arif Mohammed Khan

56. Manohar Lal Khattar (Min. of Power) – announced a Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-based nuclear power plant
in Bihar
• Bihar – among first six states in India to get its first atomic plant under new ‘Nuclear Energy Mission’
• Nuclear Energy Mission – announced in Union Budget 2025-26 | Allocation – Rs 20,000 Cr
- Aim: To expand clean & reliable nuclear power across India & strengthen regional energy security
• Centre also approved a 1,000 MW battery storage capacity project in Bihar
- To enhance grid stability & support renewable energy integration
• Viability gap funding to be provided by the government for this initiative – Rs 18 lakh per MW
• PM Modi laid foundation stone for a 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Bihar in June
2025
• Centre agreed to supply Bihar with an additional 500 MW of electricity for next 6 months to help meet
summer demand
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Arif Mohammed Khan
• Minister of Power: Manohar Lal Khattar | Constituency – Karnal, Haryana MoS in Ministry of Power: Shripad
Yesso Naik
57. Antara River Cruises (Heritage River Journeys Pvt Ltd) + Hooghly CSL = construction contract for
construction of 2 Luxury River Cruise vessels to be operated on Brahmaputra River
• Antara River Cruises – currently operates a fleet of bespoke luxury cruise vessels on Ganga, Padma &
Brahmaputra river systems
• Ganga Vilas journey – showcased by Limca Book of Records & covers over 3,200 kms across 27 rivers
• HQs of Antara River Cruises – New Delhi | Founder & Chairman – Raj Singh
• HQs of Cochin Shipyard CSL – Kochi, Kerala | Chairman & MD – Madhu S. Nair | Incorporated in – 1972

58. Training of Trainers (ToT) program on “Generation of Own Source Revenue by Gram Panchayats” was
inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi. The ToT is being organised by the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) under the ‘Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)’ in collaboration with IIM
Ahmedabad, with the larger objective of equipping Panchayats to become financially self-sustaining and
development-ready institutions. The training modules have been developed and are being delivered by faculty
from IIM Ahmedabad. The program covers critical thematic areas, including: (i) Foundations of Own Source
Revenue (OSR); (ii) Strategic Approaches to Enhance OSR; (iii) Behavioural Science for Better Tax Collection; (iv)
Utilisation of OSR for Village Development; (v) Behavioural Science and Innovative Financing; (vi) Exploring
Innovative Project Financing Options; (vii) Revenue Forecasting and Planning for Sustainability; (viii) SWOT
Analysis for Revenue Growth; and (ix) Project Management for Effective GPDP Implementation. The current
training involves 65 Master Trainers from 16 States and UTs, and will be followed by the second ToT in early July
2025 for the remaining States and UTs. In addition, the MoPR is developing the ‘Model OSR Rules’ framework and
a ‘Digital Tax Collection Portal’, which is designed to enhance ease of collection, accountability, and digital
integration. The RGSA is a scheme of the MoPR, launched in 2018. Later, it was revamped, and the Centrally
Sponsored Scheme of RGSA was approved for implementation from 2022-23 to 2025-26 for capacity building of
elected representatives (ERs) of Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIs).
Smart Points:
• ‘Training of Trainers (ToT)’ program on “Generation of Own Source Revenue by Gram Panchayats” –
inaugurated at Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi
- Being organised by = MoPR (under ‘Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan) + IIM Ahmedabad
• Training modules have been developed & are being delivered by – faculty from IIM Ahmedabad
• Current training involves 65 Master Trainers from 16 States & UTs
- To be followed by – 2nd ToT in early July 2025 for remaining states & UTs
• MoPR is developing ‘Model OSR Rules’ framework & a ‘Digital Tax Collection Portal’
- To enhance ease of collection, accountability & digital integration
• RGSA – a scheme of MoPR, launched in 2018 & later it was approved for implementation from 2022-23 to
2025-26
• Minister of Panchayati Raj: Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) | Constituency – Munger, Bihar
Mos in Ministry of Panchayati Raj: S. P. Singh Baghel
59. Govt approved to establish an “Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC 2.0)” in Gautam Buddha Nagar, UP
- Outlay – Rs 417 Cr | It is expected to attract investments worth – Rs 2,500 Cr
• To be developed by – Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) | Span – 200+ acres
• UP: Capital – Lucknow | CM – Yogi Adityanath | Governor – Anandiben Patel
 60. EcoR – launched a dedicated mobile app “ECoR Yatra” to offer realtime, reliable and accessible railway
services
- It is a one-stop digital solution for passengers to plan their journey and access transport services
• Indian Railways – launched a new scheme offering Rs 1 crore compensation to the families of its employees in
the event of accidental death
• HQs of Indian Railways – New Delhi | Chairman & CEO – Satish Kumar

61. India’s 1st AI-powered Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) – launched on Dwarka Expressway in
Delhi
- It covers Dwarka Expressway & a 28-kilometre stretch of NH-48, extending from Shiv Murti to Kherki
Daula
- Total coverage area – 56.46 kms
• Developed by – Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL) | To be implemented by – NHAI
• HQs of NHAI – New Delhi | Chairman – Santosh Kumar Yadav | Founded in – 1988

62. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative IFFCO – to set up its 1st overseas nano fertiliser plant in Curitiba in
Parana, Brazil | Via a joint venture with – NANOFERT
- It will be a Joint venture between IFFCO Nanoventions & NANOFERT (Brazil) – 7:3
- It’s expected annual production – 4.5 million litres of nano-fertilisers
• IFFCO spent ~Rs 4,200 Cr in setting up capacities to increase its acceptability amongst farmers, since 2017
• IFFCO – launched nano urea in liquid form in Jun 2021 & nano-DAP in Apr 2023
- Price (of 500 ml bottle): Nano urea – Rs 240/bottle | Nano liquid DAP – Rs 600/bottle
• Fertiliser subsidy for 2025-26 – ~Rs 1.67 trillion
• For urea, farmers pay a fixed price of Rs 242 per bag (45 kg) against cost of production of around Rs 2,650
per bag - Balance is provided by government as a subsidy to fertiliser units
• HQs of IFFCO – New Delhi | Chairman – Dileep Sanghani | Established in – 1967

63. CBSE – announced the introduction of 2-term examination system for Class 10 starting from the 2026
academic year
• First ‘main’ board examination will be conducted in mid-Feb 2026, followed by a second exam in May 2026
• HQs of CBSE – New Delhi | Chairman – Rahul Singh

64. NHAI created India’s first dedicated 12-km wildlife corridor as a part of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
- Delhi-Mumbai Expressway – passes through buffer zone of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
• It is longest wildlife overpass of its kind in India – 2.5 km (consisting of 5 wildlife overpasses)
- It is also India’s longest underpass (1.2 km) to facilitate safe animal movement
• HQs of National Highways Authority of India NHAI – New Delhi | Chairman – Santosh Kumar Yadav |
Founded in – 1988
65. MoHUA – launched “Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao” (SABB) campaign from Jul 1-31, 2025
- Under – “Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U)”
• There are 6 mantras of SABB to prevent water & vector-borne diseases:
- Clean Hands | Clean Homes | Clean Neighbourhood
- Clean Toilets | Clean Drains & Waterbodies | Clean Public Spaces
• During this campaign, Special Purpose Vehicles in 100 Smart Cities will be activated to focus on cleaning
public spaces
• It will be carried out in alignment with – MoHFW, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, MoHUA,
MoRD, MoWCD & Department of School Education and Literacy
• Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs: Manohar Lal Khattar | Constituency – Karnal, Haryana
MoS in Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs: Tokhan Sahu

66. Novo Nordisk (Denmark company) – introduced its weight-loss drug, “Wegovy”, in India
• Aim: To tap into India’s large population with obesity & 351 million with abdominal obesity
• Wegovy – to be launched in FlexTouch (a pen-like device) & can be self-administered
• Price: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg & 1 mg injection pens – Rs 17,345 each (Rs 4,366 per dose)
- 1.75 mg & 2.4 mg doses – Rs 24,280 | 2.4 mg – Rs 26,015 for a month
• Anti-obesity drug market – soared to Rs 576 Cr as of Mar 2025 (from Rs 133 Cr in Mar 2021)
• As per International Diabetes Federation, number of Indian adults with diabetes
– to surge to 124 million by 2045 - From – 74.2 million in 2021
• As per government data, share of obese people between 2019-21 – 24% of women & 23% of men aged 15-49
• Obesity rate: Men – 29.8% (urban areas) & 19.3% (rural areas) | Women – 33.2% (urban areas) & 19.7%
(rural areas)

67. Maharashtra – launched a dedicated hedging desk in Pune to ensure fair market prices and increase farmers’
incomes
• The initiative initially focuses on – cotton, turmeric, & maize
• The initiative is part of 1st phase of ‘Balasaheb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART)
Project’
• Supported by – National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange NCDEX & NICR NCDEX Institute of Commodity
Markets and Research
Maharashtra: Capital – Mumbai | CM – Devendra Fadnavis | Governor – CP Radhakrishnan

68. MoRTH notified draft rules which mandate all two-wheelers manufactured on & after Jan 1, 2026 to be fitted
with Antilock Braking System (ABS)
• MoRTH directed all two-wheeler manufacturers to supply two protective headgears during purchase of a
two-wheeler
• Aim: To reduce accidents involving motorcycles & scooters
• ABS – designed to prevent wheel lock-up during sudden braking, reducing likelihood of skidding & crashes -
Currently, ABS is mandatory for two-wheeler models above 150cc
• Minister of Road Transport & Highways: Nitin Gadkari | Constituency – Nagpur, Maharashtra
MoS in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Ajay Tamta & Harsh Malhotra

69. Ministry of Finance has extended the cut-off date for exercising options under the ‘Unified Pension Scheme
(UPS)’ by 3 months till September 30, 2025. Earlier, eligible government employees, retirees, and spouses of
deceased retirees were given a three-month time limit up to June 30 to exercise their option under the scheme.
The UPS applies to the Central government employees who are covered under the ‘National Pension System
(NPS)’ and who choose this option under the NPS, which came into effect on January 1, 2004. The option to
choose between the UPS and the NPS can be exercised by 23 lakh government employees. On August 24, 2024,
the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the UPS. Under the Old Pension Scheme,
which ended in January 2004, employees got 50% of their last drawn basic pay as pension. Unlike the OPS, the
UPS is contributory in nature, wherein employees will be required to contribute 10% of their basic salary and
dearness allowance (DA), while the employer’s contribution (the central government) will be 18.5%. However,
the eventual payout depends on the market returns on that corpus, mostly invested in government debt.
Smart Points:
• MoF extended cut-off date for exercising options under ‘Unified Pension Scheme (UPS)’ by 3 months till Sep
30, 2025
• UPS applies to Central government employees, who:
- are covered under – ‘National Pension System (NPS)’
- choose this option under NPS, which came into effect on Jan 1, 2004
• UPS – approved on Aug 24, 2024 by Union Cabinet
• Under Old Pension Scheme, ended in Jan 2004, employees got 50% of their last drawn basic pay as pension
• In UPS, employees are required to contribute 10% of their basic salary & DA & employer’s contribution will
be 18.5%
• Minister of Finance: Nirmala Sitharaman | Constituency – Karnataka MoS in Ministry of Finance: Pankaj
Chaudhary

70. The government of India has approved the setting up of a Rs 417-crore “Electronics Manufacturing Cluster
(EMC 2.0)” in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Budh Nagar district, at Sector 10 of the Yamuna Expressway and near the
upcoming Jewar airport, to boost local electronics production and innovation. The project is expected to attract
investments to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore and lead to the creation of around 15,000 jobs. The EMC 2.0 will be
developed by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on 206.4 acres. The Rs 417-
crore project cost excludes the cost of land, but includes Rs 144 crore in central financial assistance from the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with the remaining amount to be funded by YEIDA.
The project is expected to be completed by January 2028 and will feature facilities such as a skill development
centre, a convention centre, and a three-storey hostel block, among others. The project is anchored by Havells,
with an investment of Rs 800 crore. The company will be allotted 50 acres for manufacturing domestic
appliances, such as fans, AC, coolers, lighting, switchgear, cables, etc. The EMC 2.0 will also support the
production of industrial electronics to medical devices, computer hardware, and communication equipment. In
May 2025, the establishment of a Rs 3,700 crore HCL-Foxconn semiconductor OSAT facility near Jewar airport
was also announced. This unit will invite an investment of Rs 3,700 crore and is the 6th semiconductor unit
announced under the MeitY’s India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). The other 5 units are: Micron Technology in
Sanand, Gujarat; Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test (TSAT) in Morigaon, Assam; CG Power in Sanand,
Gujarat; Kaynes Semicon in Sanand, Gujarat; and Tata Electronics + PSMC (Taiwan) in Dholera, Gujarat. Uttar
Pradesh will also soon unveil a state-level top-up to the Centre’s Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme
(ECMS). In addition to central incentives, the state government is likely to announce a package worth over Rs
10,000 crore to attract electronics manufacturers to set up operations in the state. Uttar Pradesh accounts for
25% of India’s total electronics manufacturing and contributes a significant 50% to the country’s mobile phone
production.
Smart Points:
• Govt approved setting up of “Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC 2.0)” in Gautam Budh Nagar district,
UP
- At Sector 10 of Yamuna Expressway | To boost local electronics production & innovation
- Outlay – Rs 417 Cr (Rs 144 Cr – funded by MeitY & remaining – funded by YEIDA)
- This project is anchored by Havells, with an investment of – Rs 800 Cr
• It is expected to attract investments of – Rs 2,500 Cr | To be completed by – January 2028
• It will be developed by – Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on 206.4 acres
• HCL-Foxconn semiconductor OSAT facility near Jewar airport – announced in May 2025 | Outlay – Rs 3,700
Cr
- It is 6th semiconductor unit announced under MeitY’s India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
- Other 5 – Micron Technology (Sanand, Gujarat); Tata Semiconductor Assembly & Test (Morigaon, Assam);
CG Power (Sanand, Gujarat); Kaynes Semicon (Sanand, Gujarat); & Tata Electronics + PSMC (Dholera,
Gujarat)
• UP gov – to announce a package of Rs 10,000 Cr to attract electronics manufacturers to set up operations in
UP
• UP: Capital – Lucknow | CM – Yogi Adityanath | Governor – Anandiben Patel

71. Salkhan Fossils Park (Sonbhadra, UP) – included in UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites -
It is located within Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary
• As of Jun 2025, India’s total sites on: UNESCO’s World Heritage List – 43 | UNESCO’s Tentative List – 63
• HQs of UNESCO – Paris, France | DG – Audrey Azoulay | Founded in – 1945 | Members – 194 Countries

72. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has carried out searches, conducted under “Operation Chakra-V”, at
42 locations across 5 states - Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, discovering 850,000
mule accounts in more than 700 branches of various banks across India. A mule account, as it is popularly
known, is a bank account used by scammers to move the proceeds of financial crimes. The investigation
highlighted that these accounts were opened either without proper KYC (Know Your Customer) norms, Customer
Due Diligence or Initial Risk Assessment. The branch managers of the banks have also failed to conduct Enhanced
Due Diligence in respect of certain suspicious transaction alerts generated by the systems. Some of the banks
have also failed to send the acknowledgement or thanking letters to customers to indirectly verify the addresses
of the account holders. The investigation also highlights the alleged involvement of bank officials, agents,
aggregators, middlemen and e-Mitras who assisted in the opening and operation of these accounts.
Smart Points:
• CBI carried out searches at 42 locations in 5 states, discovering 850,000 mule accounts in 700+ branches of
various banks
- Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh | Under – “Operation Chakra-V”
• Mule account – a bank account used by scammers to move proceeds of financial crimes
• HQs of CBI – New Delhi | DG – Praveen Sood | Motto – “Industry, Impartiality, Integrity”

International Affairs
73. Malaysia has been elected as the President of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-
Habitat) General Assembly and as a member of its Executive Board. YB Nga Kor Ming will represent Malaysia and
preside over the Assembly as President for a 2-year term from June 2025 to June 2027. Malaysia will also serve
as one of the 36 members of the UN-Habitat Executive Board for a two-year term from June 2027 to June 2029.
Malaysia takes over from Mexico, which previously held the presidency on behalf of the Latin America and
Caribbean region. For the current term, Malaysia will co-hold the presidency and a seat on the executive board
with the United Arab Emirates, representing the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, the UN-Habitat Assembly
adopted the ‘UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029’. During the assembly, it was also announced that the 13th
session of the ‘World Urban Forum’ will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 17-22, 2026, under the theme
“Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities”. Headquartered in Nairobi, UN-Habitat was
established in 1975 and became a full UN programme in 2001. It is the UN’s top decision-making body, composed
of 193 UN member states, on sustainable urbanisation and meets every 4 years to shape global policies for cities
and human settlements.
Smart Points:
• Malaysia – elected as President of UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) General Assembly & as a
member of its Executive Board
• Previous President – Mexico
• YB Nga Kor Ming – to represent Malaysia & preside over Assembly as President for 2 years (June 2025 - June
2027)
• Malaysia – to serve as one of 36 members of UN-Habitat Executive Board for 2 years (June 2027 - June 2029)
• For current term, Malaysia will co-hold presidency & a seat on executive board with UAE, representing Asia-
Pacific region
• UN-Habitat Assembly – adopted ‘UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029’
• 13th session of ‘World Urban Forum’ – to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 17-22, 2026
- Theme – “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities”
• HQs of UN-Habitat – Nairobi, Kenya | President – YB Nga Kor Ming (Malaysia) | Established in – 1975

74. Bangladesh’s central bank dropped portrait of founding father of Bangladesh & exiled leader Sheikh Hasina’s
father Sheikh Mujibur Rehman from new currency notes
• New notes will showcase symbols of Bangladesh’s heritage, including temples, monasteries & artwork by
Zainul Abedin
• Newly issued notes span all denominations from Tk 1,000 to Tk 2
• Each denomination incorporates:
- Watermarks of Royal Bengal Tiger | Respective denomination numeral
- Either central bank’s monogram or government’s emblem (depending on note)
• The newly issued notes span all denominations from Tk 1,000 to Tk 2
• Bangladesh – Dhaka – Taka | President – Mohammed Shahabuddin

75. Nicaragua became 101st member of WTO to join Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies – adopted by WTO in June 2022
• It prohibits harmful subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and
unregulated high seas fishing.
• Nicaragua – Managua – Cordoba | President – Daniel Ortega
• HQs of WTO – Geneva, Switzerland | 7th DG – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria) | Members – 166 | Founded –
1995

76. Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia were elected to serve as
non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), with two-year terms beginning in
January 2026. They will serve through the end of 2027 on the UN body responsible for maintaining international
peace and security. They will join the 5 nonpermanent members elected in 2024 - Denmark, Greece, Pakistan,
Panama, and Somalia - who will serve through 2026. The incoming members will succeed Algeria, Guyana, the
Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025. Latvia will take a seat on the
Council for the 1st time in its history. With the exception of Latvia, all the elected countries have previously
served: Colombia (7 times), the DRC (2), and Bahrain and Liberia once each. Elections are held annually by secret
ballot, with seats allocated by regional groups. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority in the 193-member
General Assembly to be elected. This year’s election filled 5 seats: 2 allocated to Africa, one to Asia-Pacific, one to
Eastern Europe, and one to Latin America and the Caribbean. The UNSC has 15 members: 5 permanent members
- China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US - who hold veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected by the
General Assembly for staggered 2-year terms.
Smart Points:
• Bahrain, Colombia, DRC, Latvia & Liberia – elected to serve as non-permanent members of UNSC
- With two-year terms beginning in January 2026 | Latvia – to take a seat on Council for 1st time
- Succeeding – Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone & Slovenia (till Dec 2025)
• 5 non-permanent members elected in 2024 – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama & Somalia
• This year’s election filled 5 seats: 2 – Africa | 1 – Asia-Pacific | 1 – Eastern Europe | 1 – Latin America &
Caribbean
• UNSC has 15 members:
- 5 permanent members – China, France, Russia, UK & US
- 10 non-permanent members – elected by General Assembly for 2-years
• HQs of UNSC – New York, US | Presidency in Jan’25 – Algeria (Dec’24 - US | Feb’25 - China) The UNSC has 10
non-permanent members & 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, US)
77. Finland’s Embassy in India opened an Honarary Consulate in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
- Kulin Lalbhai (VP of Arvind Ltd) – appointed as its Honorary Consul of India
• India & Finland share bilateral trade worth ~3 billion euros & over 100 Indian companies currently operate
in Finland
• Indian diaspora in Finland – ~20,000 | Ambassador of Finland to India – Kimmo Lahdevirta
• Finland – Helsinki – Euro | PM – Petteri Orpo | President – Alexander Stubb

78. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched “Operation True Promise 3”, in retaliation for Israel’s “Operation Rising
Lion”
• “Operation Rising Lion” – Israel targeted Iran’s military & nuclear infrastructures | USA – biggest supporter
of Israel
• As per IDF, it struck 100+ sites in Iran to kill senior leaders of IRGC of Iran & top nuclear scientists
- Israelis also hit main Iranian nuclear site at Natanz
• Iran – a member of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signed in 1968 & came into force on Mar 5, 1970
- Under NPT, only 5 countries can keep nuclear weapons (China, France, Russia, UK & US)
• Iran – Tehran – Rial | President – Masoud Pezeshkian | Supreme Leader – Ali Khamenei
• Israel – Jerusalem – Israeli Shekel | President – Isaac Herzog | PM – Benjamin Netanyahu

79. 2026 – declared as “International Year of the Woman Farmer” by UNGA United Nations General Assembly
- To celebrate role of women in global agriculture while raising awareness of their challenges
• Women account for: 60%-80% of food production – in developing countries | 39% of agricultural labour – in
South Asia
• In India, ~80% of economically active women are employed in agriculture | Only 14% of landowners are
women • As per latest NFHS, female land ownership – 8.3%
• Resolution passed for declaring ‘December 4’ as “International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures” by
UNGA
• HQs of UNGA – New York, US | 80th Session’s President – Annalena Baerbock (Germany) | Members – 193

80. Pakistan secured key roles as an elected non-permanent member for 2025-26 in 2 significant subsidiary
bodies of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It is now the Chair of the ‘1988 Taliban Sanctions
Committee (TSC, established as a distinct committee in 2011)’, Vice Chair of the ‘1373 Counter-Terrorism
Committee (CTC)’, and a Co-Chair in 2 informal working groups of the UNSC. While Sanctions Committees are set
up to monitor and implement a specific sanctions regime against individuals and entities (such as the 1988
Committee) or states (such as the 1970 Committee), the CTC is the product of the Security Council’s Resolution
1373. Adopted unanimously by the UNSC after the 9/11 terror attacks, the Chapter VII Resolution - these are
binding on all UN member states - extensively laid down the responsibilities of states to counter terrorism.
Pakistan’s Chairmanship/Vice-Chairmanship of these Committees was procedurally inevitable. Each of these
committees is considered the subsidiary organs of the Council, according to Article 28 of the UN Charter. Hence,
both the 1988 TSC and 1373 CTC comprise all 15 members of the Council at any given time. By virtue of its two-
year UNSC membership, any elected non-permanent member invariably takes the helm of at least one of the
Council’s several subsidiary bodies, at some point in their tenure. This possibility is made more inevitable
statistically, since the UNSC’s permanent m embers (China, France, Russia, the UK and the US) do not chair
sanctions committees, to avoid conflicts of interest. India’s participation in the Security Council has been as a
non-permanent member during the periods of 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-
12, & 2021-22. India, during its last UNSC non-permanent membership (2021-2022), served as the Chair of 3
committees - the 1988 TSC, the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, and the 1373 CTC.
Smart Points:
• Pakistan secured key roles as an elected non-permanent member for 2025-26 in 2 significant subsidiary
bodies of UNSC
- Chair of ‘1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee (TSC, established as a distinct committee in 2011)’
- Vice Chair of ‘1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC)’ | Co-Chair in 2 informal working groups of
UNSC
• Sanctions Committees – set up to monitor & implement specific sanctions regime against individuals &
entities or states
• 1988 TSC & 1373 CTC – comprise all 15 members of Council at any given time
• India served as a non-permanent member of UNSC during 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85,
1991-92, 201112, & 2021-22
• India (during 2021-2022) served as Chair of 3 committees – 1988 TSC, 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee &
1373 CTC
• HQs of UNSC – New York, US | Presidency in June 2025 – Guyana (May’25 - Greece | July’25 - Pakistan)
The UNSC has 10 non-permanent members & 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, US)

81. India launched “Operation Sindhu” to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran
• 1st batch of 100 students – evacuated to Armenia from Iran
• 4,000+ Indian nationals – living in Iran & half of them are students
• Turkmenistan & Iraq – other neighbouring countries of Iran with whom India has amicable ties
• India doesn’t have amicable ties with some of the other countries bordering Iran - Turkey, Azerbaijan and
Pakistan.
• Persian Gulf route – Indians can be evacuated through ships or via Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
• Iran – Tehran – Rial | President – Masoud Pezeshkian | Supreme Leader – Ali Khamenei

82. World Meteorological Organization WMO Executive Council recognized 20 new Centennial Observing
Stations to preserve climate data & global memory
• Now, total recognized Centennial Observing Stations worldwide – 475
- It comprises – 377 meteorological, 63 hydrological & 15 marine stations
• Newly recognized Centennial Stations span several continents – Namibia (5 stations), Vietnam (2 stations),
Portugal (5 stations), US (4 stations), Norway (3 stations) & France (1 station)
• Among these, oldest – Susquehanna River hydrological station (US – 1786)
• HQs of WMO – Geneva, Switzerland | SG – Celeste Saulo | President – Dr Abdulla Al Mandous
83. Botswana – awarded with WHO’s “Gold Tier” status for elimination of vertical (mother-to-child) transmission
of HIV
- It became 1st country in Africa & 1st high-burden HIV country worldwide to receive this award
- This status was granted in – May 2025
• It was recognized under – ‘Triple Elimination Initiative’, led by WHO, Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) & UNICEF
• As per ‘UNAIDS Spectrum Report 2024’, ~360,000 people are currently living with HIV in Botswana
• Botswana – Gaborone – Botswanan Pula | President – Duma Boko
• HQs of WHO – Geneva, Switzerland | DG – Tedros Adhanom | Member Countries – 194 | Founded in – 1948

84. Oman – to levy personal income tax of 5% from 2028 to diversify government revenues
- 1st among oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia & UAE
- Only be required of those who make upward of $109,000 annually (top 1% of earners in Oman)
• Oil & gas revenues – account for up to 85% of Oman’s public income
• Oman rolled out a programme to cut down public debt & boost economic development in 2020
• Oman – Muscat – Rial | Sultan – Haitham bin Tariq Al Said
85. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) members have agreed to increase their defence spending target to
5% of gross domestic product (GDP), as demanded by US President Donald Trump during the “2025 NATO
Summit Meeting”. However, Spain opts out of NATO’s 5% GDP defence spending target. Spanish Prime Minister
Pedro Sanchez said that Spain would only have to spend 2.1% of its GDP. During the meeting, Mark Rutte,
Secretary General of NATO, proposed to reach the target by boosting NATO’s core defence spending goal from 2%
to 3.5% of GDP and spending an extra 1.5% on related items like cyber security and adapting roads and bridges
for military vehicles. Spain spent 1.24% of its GDP on defence in 2024, or about 17.2 billion euros ($19.8 billion),
making it the lowest spender in the alliance. The US spent an estimated 3.19% of its GDP on defence in 2024.
Rutte had originally proposed that countries meet the new target by 2032, but it has been extended to 2035.
There will also be a review of the target in 2029. The 2025 NATO Summit meeting was held in The Hague,
Netherlands, on June 24 and 25, 2025. The Hague Summit was chaired by the current Secretary General, Mark
Rutte, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. The NATO Secretary General always chairs the NATO Summit
meeting. Turkiye will host the “2026 NATO Summit Meeting. NATO was established on April 4, 1949, with the
signing of the ‘North Atlantic Treaty’ or ‘Washington Treaty’ in Washington, D.C. by 12 founding member
countries from Europe and North America. Currently, it has 32 members. Sweden became the 32nd country to join
NATO on March 7, 2024. Smart Points:
• NATO members agreed to increase their defence spending target to 5% of GDP
- Spain – opts out of NATO’s 5% GDP defence spending target (it would only spend 2.1% of its GDP)
• Lowest spender on defence in NATO in 2024 – Spain (1.24% of its GDP or ~17.2 billion euros)
• US – spent ~3.19% of its GDP on defence in 2024
• 2025 NATO Summit meeting – held in The Hague, Netherlands, on Jun 24-25, 2025 | Chaired by – Mark
Rutte (SG)
• “2026 NATO Summit Meeting – to be hosted by Turkiye
• Sweden – became 32nd country to join NATO on Mar 7, 2024
• HQs of NATO – Brussels, Belgium | SG – Mark Rutte | Members – 32 | Founded in – 1949
86. UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) + Embassy of UAE in India = launched “UAE-India CEPA Start-up Series”
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
• Aim: To support internationalisation of Indian start-ups by linking them with UAE’s dynamic innovation
ecosystem
• Bilateral trade between India & UAE in FY24 – $83.64 billion
• India’s non-oil exports to UAE – surged by over 20%
• UAE FDI in India – $3.35 billion in FY23
- It makes UAE India’s 4th-largest investor | Top 3 – Singapore ($17.2 bn), Mauritius ($6.1 bn) & US ($6 bn)
• Start-up Series – to culminate in a pitch event in New Delhi
• UICC – also signed MoUs with ‘PRIME Meghalaya’, ‘IDEATE Lab’ & Jamia Hamdard University
• UICC – a dedicated bilateral platform established under CEPA to accelerate trade, investment & innovation
between UAE & India
• UAE – Abu Dhabi – Dirham | President – Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

87. Saudi Arabia – launched a global platform, “TOURISE” & announced ‘TOURISE Summit’ in Riyadh from Nov
11-13, 2025
- It seeks to chart course for tourism for next 50 years
• ‘TOURISE Awards’ – to be given at November summit
• Saudi Arabia – Riyadh – Saudi Riyal | PM – Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud | King – Salman bin Abdulaziz

88. In a world grappling with growing crises, deepening inequalities, and eroding trust in global institutions, the
United Nations (UN) has launched an ambitious effort, the “UN80 Initiative”, to strengthen how it serves people
everywhere. The UN80 Initiative, unveiled in March 2025 by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is a system-
wide push to streamline operations, sharpen impact, and reaffirm the UN’s relevance for a rapidly changing
world. The UN80 Initiative aims to reinforce the UN’s capacity to respond to today’s global challenges, ranging
from conflict, displacement, and inequality to climate shocks and rapid technological change, while also
responding to external pressures such as shrinking budgets and growing political divisions in the multilateral
space. At the heart of UN80 are 3 major workstreams. The 1st is focused on improving internal efficiency and
effectiveness, cutting red tape, and optimising the UN’s global footprint by relocating some functions to lower-
cost duty stations. The 2nd workstream is a mandate implementation review, which involves examining nearly
4,000 mandate documents underpinning the UN Secretariat’s work. A mandate refers to a task or responsibility
assigned to the organisation by the Member States. The 3rd stream explores whether structural changes and
programme realignment are needed across the UN System. To tackle reform across such a complex system, the
Secretary General established 7 thematic clusters under the UN80 Task Force; each coordinated by senior UN
leaders from across the system. These cover peace and security, humanitarian action, development (Secretariat
and UN system), human rights, training and research, and specialised agencies. Right now, the UN assists over
130 million displaced people, provides food to more than 120 million, supplies vaccines to nearly half the world’s
children, and supports peacekeeping, human rights, elections, and climate action across the globe.
Smart Points:
• UN launched an ambitious effort, “UN80 Initiative”, to strengthen how it serves people everywhere
• UN80 Initiative – unveiled in March 2025 by SG Antonio Guterres & it has 3 major workstreams
• SG established 7 thematic clusters under UN80 Task Force; each coordinated by senior UN leaders from
across system
• HQs of UN – New York, US | Secretary-General – Antonio Guterres | Established in – October 24, 1945

89. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched the “Nationally Determined Contribution
(NDC) Cooling Guidelines 2025” for integrating the cooling sector into NDCs. The guidelines were launched
alongside the 62nd session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies (SB
62) in Bonn, Germany. The NDC Cooling Guidelines offer a six-stage, step-by-step framework (Baseline
Definition, Target Formulation, MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) Systems, Policy Actions,
Governance, and Finance & Access), supported by country case studies, to help policymakers assess
hydrofluorocarbon and energy-related emissions, set sector-specific targets, and develop fully costed National
Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs). The goal is to reduce emissions from cooling, which currently account for about
7% of global GHG, by nearly 60% by 2050. The Guidelines emphasize Minimum Energy Performance Standards
(MEPS), Kigalicompliant refrigerant phase-down, passive and nature-based solutions, as well as climate-
responsive urban planning. These actions are underpinned by cross-ministerial coordination, a robust MRV
system to track progress, and a strong focus on expanding equitable access. Together, they enable countries to
integrate cooling measures into both adaptation and mitigation pathways. The NDC Cooling Guidelines were
developed collaboratively by the UNEP Cool Coalition NDC Working Group, with contributions from the
American University in Cairo; Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC); Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC);
Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP); Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Proklima; the Ozone Secretariat; Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL); United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP); UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC); and UNEP United for
Efficiency (U4E). Smart Points:
• UNEP – launched “Nationally Determined Contribution Cooling Guidelines 2025” to integrate cooling sector
into NDCs
• 62nd session of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Subsidiary Bodies (SB 62) – held in Bonn,
Germany
• Aim: To reduce emissions from cooling by nearly 60% by 2050 (from 7% of global GHG)
• Developed by = UNEP Cool Coalition NDC Working Group, with contributions from various other entities
• HQs of UNEP – Nairobi, Kenya | Executive Director – Inger Andersen | Founded in – 1972

90. Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) – exported 2 locomotives to Mozambique

- As per contract awarded by Mozambique Railways (CFM) for manufacturing & supply of 10 diesel
locomotives
- Remaining 8 locomotives – to be dispatched by Dec 2025 These are advanced diesel locomotives of
3300 hp
- Maximum speed – 100 kmph on Cape Gauge (1067 mm)
• BLW exported 10 Cape Gauge diesel locomotives to CFM so far (oldest locomotive sent in 2008-09)
• During 2021-22 & 2022-23, BLW supplied a total of 5 locomotives
• Marhowra Plant (Bihar) – also exported a locomotive to Republic of Guinea
• BLW exported its 1st locomotive to – Tanzania (in Jan 1976) | So far, BLW exported 174 locomotives
• HQs of BLW – Varanasi, UP | General Manager – Naresh Pal Singh | Established in – 1961

91. Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh led a high-level Indian delegation at the “Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting” held at Qingdao under the chairmanship of China. India has
refused to sign a joint declaration at the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China. India was not
satisfied with the language of the joint document and there was no mention of cross-border terrorist activities
specially recent Pahalgam Terror attack. The refusal to endorse the document resulted in the conclave ending
without a joint communique. SCO is an inter-governmental organisation established in 2001. India became a full
member in 2017 and assumed the rotating Chairmanship in 2023. The SCO membership includes Kazakhstan,
China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus, besides India. China assumed the
Chair of the SCO for 2025 under the theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move”.
Smart Points:
• “Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers’ Meeting” – held at Qingdao, China
- Indian delegation led by – Rajnath Singh (Minister of Defence)
• India – refused to sign a joint declaration at SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China
• India – became a full member of SCO in 2017 & assumed rotating Chairmanship in 2023
• SCO members – Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran & Belarus
• – assumed Chair of SCO for 2025 | Under theme – “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move”
• HQs of SCO – Beijing, China | SG – Nurlan Yermekbayev | Present Member Countries – 10
• Minister of Defence: Rajnath Singh | Constituency – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh MoS in Ministry of Defence:
Sanjay Seth

Banking, Finance, Insurance & Economic Affairs

92. According to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) annual report for 2024-25, the number of counterfeit Rs 500
denomination notes detected in the banking system surged by 37.3% in the year 2024-25. The RBI and banks
detected 1.18 lakh of fake Rs 500 notes (new design) worth Rs 5.88 crore during 2024-25, as against 85,711
counterfeit notes valued at Rs 4.28 crore detected in 2023-24. The RBI also reported a 13.9% rise in detection of
the number of counterfeit Rs 200 notes in 2024-25. The total number of counterfeit Rs 200 denomination notes
detected in 2024-25 stood at 32,660 worth Rs 65.32 lakh, compared to 28,672 fake notes valued at Rs 57.34
lakh. During 2024-25, counterfeit notes were detected in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 and Rs 100 at
32.3%, 14%, 21.8% and 23%. The biggest decline was seen in the number of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes, which
dropped by 86.52% to 3,508 notes in 2024-25, compared to 26,035 pieces in 2023-24. The total number of
counterfeit notes detected by the RBI and banks stood at 2.17 lakh in April 2024-March 2025, lower than 2.22
lakh in 2023-24. Out of the total Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) detected in the banking sector, 4.7% were
detected at the RBI and 95.3% at banks. Meanwhile, the RBI said that the value and volume of banknotes in
circulation increased by 6% and 5.6%, respectively, during 2024-25. In 2024-25, the share of Rs 500 banknotes
at 86%, declined marginally in value terms. In volume terms, the Rs 500 denomination at 40.9%, constituted the
highest share of the total banknotes in circulation, followed by Rs 10 denomination banknotes at 16.4%. The
lower denomination banknotes - Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50, together constituted 31.7% of total banknotes in
circulation by volume.
Smart Points:
• As per RBI’s annual report for 2024-25,
• Number of counterfeit Rs 500 denomination notes detected in banking system – surged by 37.3% in 2024-25
• Fake notes detected during 2024-25:
- Rs 500 notes (new design) – 1.18 lakh | Worth – Rs 5.88 Cr (from 85,711 notes in 2023-24 | Worth – Rs
4.28 Cr)
- Rs 200 notes – 32,660 | Worth – Rs 65.32 lakh (from 28,672 notes in 2023-24 | Worth – Rs 57.34 lakh)
• Share of counterfeit notes in 2024-25: Rs 10 – 32.3% | Rs 20 – 14% | Rs 50 – 21.8% | Rs 100 – 23%
• Number of fake Rs 2,000 notes – dropped by 86.52% to 3,508 notes in 2024-25 (from 26,035 notes in 2023-
24)
• Total number of fake notes detected by RBI & banks – 2.17 lakh in FY25 (from 2.22 lakh in FY24)
• Out of total Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) detected in banking sector: 4.7% – at RBI | 95.3% – at banks
• Banknotes in circulation during 2024-25 increased by: 6% – in value | 5.6% – in volume
• In 2024-25, share of Rs 500 banknotes – 86%
• Highest share of total banknotes in circulation – Rs 500 (40.9%) | Followed by – Rs 10 (16.4%)
• Lower denomination banknotes (Rs 10, Rs 20 & Rs 50) – constituted 31.7% of total banknotes in circulation
by volume
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

93. Fintech unicorn Razorpay, backed by Y Combinator and Peak XV, has officially completed the process of
shifting its parent company’s domicile from the US to India. The move makes India the company’s global
headquarters, marking one of the most high-profile reversals of the earlier trend among Indian startups of
flipping overseas for regulatory or investor access. Founded in 2014, Razorpay offers a suite of digital payment
and banking solutions to Indian businesses.
Smart Points:
• Razorpay – officially completed the process of shifting its parent company’s domicile from the US to India
• The company is backed by – Y Combinator & Peak XV
• HQs of Razorpay – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CEO – Harshil Mathur | Co-founders – Harshil Mathur &
Shashank Kumar

94. The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) balance sheet expanded by 8.2% to Rs 76.25 lakh crore in the year 2024-
25. The RBI’s balance sheet stood at Rs 70.48 lakh crore as on March 31, 2024. During 2024-25, its income grew
by 22.77% to Rs 3.38 lakh crore from Rs 2.76 lakh crore in 2023-24. The expenditure increased by 7.76% to Rs
69,714.02 crore in 2024-25 from Rs 64,694.33 crore as on March 31, 2024. The income from foreign sources
surged 38.07% to 2.59 lakh crore in 2024-25 from Rs 1.87 lakh crore in 2023-24. The rate of earnings on foreign
currency assets was 5.31% in the year 2024-25 as compared to 4.21% in the previous year. The RBI’s earnings
from domestic sources declined 9.80% from Rs 88,101.12 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 79,470.54 crore in 2024-25.
The interest on holding of rupee securities, including oil bonds, dipped 7.63% to Rs 85,524.67 crore. In the RBI’s
balance sheet, the increase on the assets side was due to a rise in gold, domestic investments and foreign
investments by 52.09%, 14.32% and 1.7%, respectively. On the liabilities side, expansion was due to an increase
in notes issued, revaluation accounts, and other liabilities by 6.03%, 17.32 and 23.31%, respectively. Domestic
assets constituted 25.73% while foreign currency assets, gold (including gold deposits and gold held in India),
and loans & advances to financial institutions outside India constituted 74.27% of total assets as on March 31,
2025 as against 23.31% and 76.69%, respectively, as on March 31, 2024. The total gold held by the RBI was
879.58 metric tonnes as on March 31, 2025. The RBI’s ‘other liabilities’ increased by 23.31% to Rs 3.21 lakh crore
as on March 31, 2025.
Smart Points:
• RBI’s balance sheet – expanded by 8.2% to Rs 76.25 lakh Cr in FY25 (from Rs 70.48 lakh Cr in FY24)
• Income growth of RBI in FY25 – by 22.77% to Rs 3.38 lakh Cr (from Rs 2.76 lakh Cr in FY24)
• Expenditure of RBI – rose by 7.76% to Rs 69,714.02 Cr in FY25 (from Rs 64,694.33 Cr in FY24)
• Income from foreign sources – rose 38.07% to 2.59 lakh Cr in FY25 (from Rs 1.87 lakh Cr in FY24)
• Rate of earnings on foreign currency assets – 5.31% in FY25 (from 4.21% in FY24)
• RBI’s earnings from domestic sources – declined 9.80% to Rs 79,470.54 Cr in FY25 (from Rs 88,101.12 Cr in
FY24)
• Interest on holding of rupee securities, including oil bonds – dipped 7.63% to Rs 85,524.67 Cr
• Increase on assets side due to a rise in:
- Gold – 52.09% | Domestic investments – 14.32% | Foreign investments – 1.7%
• On liabilities side, expansion was due to an increase in:
- Notes issued – 6.03% | Revaluation accounts – 17.32% | Other liabilities – 23.31%
• Out of total assets in FY25:
- Domestic assets – 25.73% (from 23.31% in FY24) | Foreign currency assets – 74.27% (from 76.69% in
FY24)
• Total gold held by RBI – 879.58 metric tonnes (as on Mar 31, 2025)
• RBI’s ‘other liabilities’ – increased by 23.31% to Rs 3.21 lakh Cr (as on Mar 31, 2025)

95 The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) updated digital lending guidelines, which say that lenders must exclude
default loss guarantee (DLG) cover while making provisions for bad loans, could have been prompted by some
fintech entities becoming over-reliant on lenders for business operations. According to the RBI’s May 8
directions, recognition of individual loan assets in the portfolio as nonperforming asset (NPA) and consequent
provisioning shall be the responsibility of the lender, irrespective of any DLG cover available at the portfolio level.
The amount of DLG invoked shall not be set off against the underlying individual loans, i.e., the liability of the
borrowers in respect of the underlying loan shall remain unaffected. Recovery by the RE, if any, from the loans on
which DLG has been invoked and realised, can be shared with the DLG provider in terms of the contractual
arrangement. The guidelines further stated, adding that the DLG amount once invoked by the lender shall not be
reinstated, including through loan recovery. A DLG is a contractual arrangement between a bank or a non-bank
and another fintech entity, under which the latter guarantees to compensate the lender, for the loss due to default
up to a certain percentage of the loan portfolio of the lender, which is specified upfront. Any other implicit
guarantee of similar nature, linked to the performance of the loan portfolio of the RE and specified upfront, shall
also be covered under the definition of DLG. Fintechs typically provide up to 5% DLG to lenders. In most cases,
DLGs, which are capped at 5%, are in the form of fixed deposits, lien marked in favour of NBFC (Non-Banking
Financial Company) as credit enhancements.
Smart Points:
• RBI updated digital lending guidelines that lenders must exclude default loss guarantee (DLG) cover while
making provisions for bad loans
• Recognition of individual loan assets in portfolio as NPA & consequent provisioning shall be responsibility of
lender, irrespective of any DLG cover available at portfolio level
• Amount of DLG invoked shall not be set off against underlying individual loans, i.e., liability of borrowers in
respect of underlying loan shall remain unaffected
• Recovery by RE, if any, from loans on which DLG has been invoked & realised, can be shared with DLG
provider in terms of contractual arrangement
• DLG amount once invoked by lender shall not be reinstated, including through loan recovery
• DLG – a contractual arrangement between a bank or a non-bank & another fintech entity, under which latter
guarantees to compensate lender, for loss due to default up to a certain percentage of loan portfolio of lender,
which is specified upfront
- Any other implicit guarantee of similar nature shall also be covered under definition of DLG
• Fintechs typically provide up to 5% DLG to lenders
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

96. K. Prathapa Reddy, the Deputy General Manager of State Bank of India (SBI), has been appointed as the
Chairman of Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB) for a 3-year term. He replaced Y. Sobha. For two years, he was also
Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank. TGB is sponsored by SBI and its total business as on March
31 was ₹73,791 crore. It is India’s most profitable RRB. Smart Points:
• K. Prathapa Reddy (DGM of SBI) – appointed as Chairman of Telangana Grameena Bank for 3 years
(replacing - Y. Sobha)
• TGB is sponsored by – SBI | Total business (as on Mar 31) – ₹73,791 Cr (India’s most profitable RRB)
• HQs of TGB – Hyderabad, Telangana | Chairman – K. Prathapa Reddy | Established in – 2006

97. Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda has announced a 5-year initiative to transform
urban infrastructure like metro extensions, and new regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridors across India,
with an estimated investment of $10 billion. This funding support includes sovereign loans, private-sector
financing, and third-party capital. The initiative is anchored by India’s flagship ‘Urban Challenge Fund (UCF)’. In
addition, ADB has committed $3 million in technical assistance to help design bankable projects and enhance the
institutional capacity of states and urban local bodies. India’s towns and cities are projected to house more than
40% of the population by 2030. ADB has already worked with more than 110 cities across 22 states on water
supply, sanitation, housing, and solid-waste management projects, and the active urban portfolio totals 27 loans
worth $5.15 billion. On urban transport, over the past decade, ADB has committed $4 billion for metro projects
and RRTS covering 300 km in 8 cities, including the Delhi-Meerut RRTS, Mumbai Metro, Nagpur Metro, Chennai
Metro, and Bengaluru Metro. ADB will also invest in skills development through the ‘National Industrial Training
Institute Upgradation Program’ to boost the manufacturing sector. Smart Points:
• Masato Kanda (ADB President) – announced a 5-year initiative to transform urban infrastructure in India
- Investment – $10 billion | Anchored by – ‘Urban Challenge Fund (UCF)’
• ADB committed $3 million in technical assistance to help design bankable projects & enhance institutional
capacity of states & urban local bodies
• ADB has already worked with more than 110 cities across 22 states, totalling to 27 loans | Worth – $5.15
billion
• On urban transport, over past decade, ADB committed $4 billion for metro projects and RRTS covering 300
km in 8 cities
- Including Delhi-Meerut RRTS, Mumbai Metro, Nagpur Metro, Chennai Metro & Bengaluru Metro
• HQs of ADB – Mandaluyong, Philippines | President – Masato Kanda | Members – 69

98. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the “Reserve Bank-Climate Risk Information System
(RBICRIS)”, a two-pronged data platform intended to bridge persistent gaps in climate-related financial
information. The new system will consist of 2 parts: (i) a web-based directory publicly listing a range of
meteorological and geospatial data sources, and (ii) a restricted-access data portal offering processed,
standardised datasets to regulated financial institutions. The platform aims to bridge and standardise 3 data
gaps: (i) physical risk; (ii) transition risk; and (iii) carbon emission”. Financial institutions face 2 broad categories
of climate risk - physical risks and transition risks. Physical risks stem from weather-related disasters such as
floods, droughts, cyclones, and rising seas. Transition risks arise from shifts in policy, technology, or market
sentiment as the world moves toward a low-carbon economy. Both types, require robust and granular data to
measure financial exposure accurately. That data, however, remains scarce. Global efforts such as the ‘G20 Data
Gap Initiative’, the ‘Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)’, and the ‘Net-Zero Data Public Utility
(NZDPU)’ aim to address these problems. Smart Points:
• RBI launched “Reserve Bank-Climate Risk Information System (RBI-CRIS)”, a two-pronged data platform -
To bridge persistent gaps in climate-related financial information
• It will consist of 2 parts:
- A web-based directory publicly listing a range of meteorological & geospatial data sources
- A restricted-access data portal offering processed, standardised datasets to regulated financial
institutions
• Aim: To bridge & standardise 3 data gaps - physical risk, transition risk & carbon emission
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

99. As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) annual report, the financial outlay for security printing surged by
almost 25% in the fiscal year 2024-25, reaching Rs 6,372.8 crore, compared to Rs 5,101.4 crore the previous year.
The rise in costs is attributed to a combination of factors including heightened demand for banknote printing,
inflation in raw material prices, enhanced security features, and a concerted effort to indigenise the production
process. In addition, the report highlighted that the banknotes in circulation include denominations of Rs 2, Rs 5,
Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 200, Rs 500, and Rs 2000. However, the RBI has ceased printing Rs 2, Rs 5, and Rs
2000 denominations. The supply of notes increased by 24.69% from 2,43,000 lakh pieces during the year 2023-
24 to 3,03,000 lakh pieces during 2024-25. Besides this, the coin denominations in circulation consist of 50
paise, Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10, and Rs 20. The value and volume of coins in circulation increased by 9.6% and 3.6%,
respectively, during 2024-25. Also, the value of e-rupee in circulation increased by 334% during 2024-25.
Smart Points:
• As per RBI’s annual report,
• Financial outlay for security printing – surged by ~25% in FY25, reaching Rs 6,372.8 Cr (from Rs 5,101.4 Cr
in FY24)
• Banknotes in circulation include denominations of – Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 200, Rs 500 &
Rs 2000 - RBI ceased printing Rs 2, Rs 5 & Rs 2000 denominations
• Supply of notes – increased by 24.69% to 3,03,000 lakh pieces during FY25 (from 2,43,000 lakh pieces
during FY24)
• Coin denominations in circulation consist of – 50 paise, Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10 & Rs 20
• Increase in circulation of coins during FY25: Value – 9.6% | Volume – 3.6%
• Value of e-rupee in circulation – increased by 334% during FY25
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

100. Former Mauritanian Finance Minister Sidi Ould Tah has been elected as President of the African
Development Bank (AfDB). He will replace Akinwumi Adesina, a Nigerian economist who will step down in
September 2025 after completing the maximum two five-year terms in office. The AfDB, which has $318 billion in
capital, is owned by 54 African states and non-regional nations including the US, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Its
biggest shareholder is Nigeria. The AfDB is in the process of helping to set up a financial stability mechanism
(AFSM) for the continent to prevent countries from tipping into debt-induced crises. Tah will take over as the
bank grapples with Washington’s plans to cut $555 million in funding to its African Development Fund (ADF),
which offers low-priced financing to more than 30 of the continent’s poorest nations.
Smart Points:
• Sidi Ould Tah – elected as President of African Development Bank from Sep’25 (replacing - Akinwumi
Adesina)
• AfDB’s capital – $318 billion | It is owned by 54 African states & non-regional nations including US, Japan &
Saudi Arabia - Biggest shareholder – Nigeria
• HQs of African Development Bank – Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire | CEO – Akinwumi Adesina | Prsident – Sidi Ould
Tah

101. According to the provisional data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the central
government has achieved the fiscal deficit target of 4.8% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for 202425. In the
revised estimates (RE) presented to Parliament in February 2025, the government had pegged the fiscal deficit or
gap between expenditure and revenue at Rs 15,69,527 crore or 4.8% of the GDP. The CGA data showed that the
fiscal deficit in actual terms was Rs 15,77,270 crore, or 100.5%, of the RE. The economic growth in nominal
terms for the fiscal 2024-25 is estimated at Rs 3,30,68,145 crore. The government received Rs 30.78 lakh crore or
97.8% of RE 2024-25 of total receipts during 2024-25. This comprised Rs 24.99 lakh crore tax revenue (net to
Centre), Rs 5.37 lakh crore of non-tax revenue and Rs 41,818 crore of non-debt capital receipts. Non-debt capital
receipts consist of recovery of loans (Rs 24,616 crore) and miscellaneous capital receipts (Rs 17,202 crore).
According to the CGA data, Rs 12,86,885 crore has been transferred to state governments as devolution of share
of taxes by the government up to March 2025. The total expenditure incurred by the Centre is Rs 46.55 lakh crore
(98.7% of corresponding RE 2024-25), out of which Rs 36.03 lakh crore is on the revenue account and Rs 10.52
lakh crore is on the capital account. Out of the total revenue expenditure, Rs 11.16 lakh crore is on account of
interest payments, and Rs 3.88 lakh crore is on account of major subsidies.
Smart Points:
• As per provisional data released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA),
• Central government achieved fiscal deficit target of 4.8% of GDP for 2024-25
• In revised estimates in Feb 2025, government pegged fiscal deficit – at Rs 15,69,527 Cr (4.8% of GDP)
• Fiscal deficit in actual terms – Rs 15,77,270 Cr (100.5% of RE)
• Economic growth in nominal terms for FY25 – Rs 3,30,68,145 Cr
• Government received Rs 30.78 lakh Cr (97.8% of RE) in FY25 of total receipts
- Comprising: Rs 24.99 lakh Cr – tax revenue | Rs 5.37 lakh Cr – non-tax revenue | Rs 41,818 Cr – non-
debt capital receipts
- Non-debt capital receipts consist of: Loan recovery – Rs 24,616 Cr | Miscellaneous capital receipts – Rs
17,202 Cr
• Amount transferred to states as devolution of share of taxes by govt up to Mar 2025 – Rs 12,86,885 Cr
• Total expenditure incurred by Centre – Rs 46.55 lakh Cr
- Out of which: Rs 36.03 lakh Cr – on revenue account | Rs 10.52 lakh Cr – on capital account
• Out of total revenue expenditure:
- Rs 11.16 lakh Cr – on account of interest payments | Rs 3.88 lakh Cr – on account of major subsidies

102. Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has entered into a tripartite MoU with AMUL, India’s largest dairy cooperative,
and Richplus, AMUL’s organic farming partner to promote organic farming and help in rural empowerment. A co-
branded ‘Organic Farming Card’ for IOB account holders was also launched. This card offers farmers access to
discounted organic inputs through AMUL’s certified outlets and other benefits including free agronomist support,
training opportunities, and high-quality seeds. IOB also introduced a dedicated credit scheme “Harit Kranti”,
tailored to the needs of organic farmers.
Smart Points:
• IOB + AMUL + Richplus = a tripartite MoU to promote organic farming & help in rural empowerment
• A co-branded ‘Organic Farming Card’ for IOB account holders – also launched
• “Harit Kranti” (a dedicated credit scheme) – introduced by IOB, tailored to needs of organic farmers
• HQs of IOB – Chennai, TN | MD & CEO – Ajay Kumar Srivastava | Tagline – “Good people to grow with”
• HQs of AMUL/GCMMF – Anand, Gujarat | MD – Jayen Mehta (interim) | Chairman – Shamalbhai B. Patel

103. As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Annual Report 2024-25, the RBI has imposed 353 penalties
totalling Rs 54.78 crore on regulated entities (REs) for non-compliance with various statutory provisions and
directions during the financial year 2024-25. According to the RBI, 264 penalties amounting to Rs 15.63 crore
were imposed on cooperative banks, making them the most penalised segment. Non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs) and asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) faced 37 penalties totalling Rs
7.29 crore, while 13 housing finance companies (HFCs) were penalised to the tune of Rs 83 lakh. In the case of
traditional banking, the RBI levied penalties worth Rs 11.11 crore on 8 public sector banks and Rs 14.8 crore on
15 private sector banks. Additionally, 6 foreign banks were also penalised, though specific figures for these were
not detailed. The RBI said the contraventions pertained to critical areas including cybersecurity frameworks in
banks, exposure norms, income recognition and asset classification (IRAC) norms, Know Your Customer (KYC)
directives, fraud classification and reporting, and submission of credit information to Credit Information
Companies (CICs). Smart Points:
• RBI – imposed 353 penalties totalling Rs 54.78 Cr on regulated entities (REs) during FY 2024-25
• 264 penalties amounting to Rs 15.63 Cr were imposed on – Cooperative Banks (most penalised segment)
• NBFCs & ARCs faced 37 penalties totalling Rs 7.29 Cr | 13 HFCs were penalised to the tune of Rs 83 lakh
• Penalties on 8 public sector banks – Rs 11.11 Cr | On 15 private sector banks – Rs 14.8 Cr
• 6 foreign banks were also penalised
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

104. India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections soared past the Rs 2 lakh crore mark for the 2nd consecutive
month in May 2025, reaching Rs 2.01 lakh crore. This marks only the 3rd time in the GST history that collections
have surpassed this milestone. The May collection, which reflects goods consumed and services availed in April,
demonstrated a substantial 16% increase compared to May of last year. While typically April 2025 sets a record
for the highest collection of Rs 2.37 lakh crore, May 2025 collection still exceeded Rs 2 lakh crore, despite being
approximately 15% lower than April’s record. This positive trend follows an unprecedented surge in E-Way Bill
generation in April 2025, which reached its second all-time high of 11.93 crore, a 23% increase year-on-year.
Analysis of the May 2025 data indicates that the higher collection is primarily driven by import-related GST.
Growth in GST from imports stood at over 25%, significantly outpacing the roughly 14% growth in domestic GST.
Smart Points:
• India’s GST collections reached Rs 2.01 lakh Cr in May 2025
- This GST collection crossed Rs 2 lakh-Cr-mark for 2nd consecutive month (& overall 3rd time in GST history)
• May’25 collection demonstrated a substantial 16% increase compared to May 2024
• Highest ever GST collection so far – April 2025 (Rs 2.37 lakh Cr)
• Higher collection is primarily driven by – import-related GST | Growth in GST from imports stood at – over
25%

105. According to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the growth of bank deposits in India
slowed down to 10.6% year-on-year in FY 2024-25 as compared to 13% in the previous fiscal. Despite the slower
growth, the overall deposit base remains strong. Term deposits continued to make up the largest share of total
deposits, accounting for 59.5% as of March 2025. Nearly 68.4% of term deposits had an original maturity of 1 to
3 years as of March 2025. Savings deposits saw a drop in share to 29.1% from 30.8% in March 2024 and 33% in
March 2023. Current deposits, however, remained steady at 9.8%. Also, the share of term deposits offering
interest rates of 7% and above rose significantly to 72.7% in March 2025 from 64.2% in March 2024 and 33.5%
in March 2023. Large-sized deposits also grew. Term deposits of Rs 1 crore and above made up 45.1% of total
term deposits in March 2025, up from 43.7% in the previous year. Further, the households continued to be the
main contributors to bank deposits, accounting for 60.2% of the total in March 2025. Within this, female
depositors held a 20.7% share. Senior citizens’ deposits made up 20.2% of the total deposits. Bank branches in
metropolitan areas saw the highest deposit growth at 11.7% in March 2025. Rural areas recorded 10.1% growth,
semi-urban areas 8.9%, and urban centres 9.3%. Smart Points:
• As per data released by RBI, growth of bank deposits in India – reduced to 10.6% y-o-y in FY25 (from 13% in
FY24)
• As of March 2025, largest share of total deposits – Term deposits (59.5%)
- ~68.4% of term deposits – had an original maturity of 1 to 3 years
- Followed by – Savings deposits (29.1%) & Current deposits (9.8%)
• Share of term deposits offering interest of 7% & above – rose to 72.7% in Mar’25 (from 64.2% in Mar’24 &
33.5% in Mar’23)
• Term deposits of Rs 1 Cr & above – 45.1% of total term deposits in March 2025 (from 43.7% in FY24)
• In Mar 2025, main contributors to bank deposits – households (60.2%) | Female depositors – 20.7% -
Senior citizens’ deposits – 20.2% of total deposits
• Highest deposit growth in Mar 2025 – Bank branches in metropolitan areas (11.7%)
- Rural areas – 10.1% growth | Semi-urban areas – 8.9% growth | Urban centres – 9.3% growth
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

106. Swarup Kumar Saha – extended as MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank till Feb 2027
• The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
• HQs of Punjab & Sind Bank – New Delhi | MD & CEO – Swarup Kumar Saha

107. Deutsche Bank has appointed Stefan Schaffer as the new CEO of Deutsche India, its global capability centre
(GCC). Schaffer will also operate as the Global CIO for Corporate Functions and Head of Global Technology
Centres at Deutsche Bank. Since joining Deutsche Bank in 2020, Stefan has held several senior leadership roles
within the Technology, Data and Innovation (TDI) division. The Deutsche Bank group has been operating in India
since 1980, while Deutsche India was established in 2005.
Smart Points:
• Stefan Schaffer – appointed as new CEO of Deutsche India
- He will also operate as Global CIO for Corporate Functions & Head of Global Technology Centres at Deutsche
Bank
• HQs of Deutsche Bank – Frankfurt, Germany | CEO – Christian Sewing | President – James von Moltke
HQs of Deutsche Bank AG, India – Mumbai, Maharashtra | CEO – Stefan Schaffer
108. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a 50 basis points (bps) rate cut in the benchmark repo rate to
5.5% at its second bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on June 6, 2025. The bank rate
reduced to 5.75%. The reverse repo rate remains unchanged at 3.35%. The MPC also provided a boost to liquidity
with a 100 bps reduction in cash reserve ratio (CRR) to 3%, releasing Rs 2.5 lakh crore of lendable resources to
the banking system. The inflation outlook for FY2026 has been revised to 3.7%, from the earlier 4%. The MPC
also retained the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast for FY2026 at 6.5%. The RBI also retained its
quarterly GDP growth projections for FY2025-26 at 6.5% for Q1, 6.7% for Q2, 6.6% for Q3, and 6.3% for Q4-
unchanged from its previous estimates. The committee also shifted its policy stance from ‘accommodative’ to
‘neutral’. The standing deposit facility (SDF) rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) were adjusted to
5.25% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 5.75%. While the Statutory Liquidity
Ratio (SLR) is 18% Smart Points:
• 2nd bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting – held on Jun 6, 2025
• Latest rates:
- Repo rate – 5.5% | Bank rate or MSF – 5.75% | Reverse repo rate – 3.35% | CRR – 3%
- SDF – 5.25% | SLR – 18%
• Amount released to banking system – Rs 2.5 lakh Cr of lendable resources
• India’s GDP growth forecast for FY26 – at 6.5% | Inflation forecast – 3.7%
• MPC also shifted its policy stance from ‘accommodative’ to ‘neutral’
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

109. State Bank of India (SBI) has signed an MoU with Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) to support
Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Karnataka. The MoU is expected to enable and empower GCCs in Karnataka
through collaborative initiatives between SBI and KDEM. On the same day, SBI announced the opening of India’s
first “Exclusive GCC Centre” in Bengaluru. This pioneering initiative is designed to offer customised banking
solutions and support to the growing GCC ecosystem in the State. Smart Points:
• SBI + Karnataka Digital Economy Mission = an MoU to support Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Karnataka
• SBI – also announced the opening of India’s first “Exclusive GCC Centre” in Bengaluru
• HQs of SBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Challa Sreenivasulu Setty
MDs – Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh | Ashwini Kumar Tewari | Vinay M. Tonse | Rama Mohan Rao Amara
• Karnataka: Capital – Bangalore | CM – Siddaramaiah | Governor – Thaawarchand Gehlot

110. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a “Scheme for writing books originally in Hindi on
Economics/Banking/Financial subjects” to encourage original writings and research in Banking Hindi. Under this
scheme, working/retired Professors of Indian Universities (UGC recognized) are awarded 3 prizes of Rs 1,25,000
each for writing books originally in Hindi on subjects related to Economics/Banking/Finance. Smart Points:
• “Scheme for writing books originally in Hindi on Economics/Banking/Financial subjects” – launched by RBI -
To encourage original writings & research in Banking Hindi
• Working/retired Professors of Indian Universities (UGC recognized) are awarded 3 prizes of Rs 1,25,000 each
- For writing books originally in Hindi on subjects related to Economics/Banking/Finance
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

111. Canara Bank has announced the removal of charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance across all
types of Savings Bank (SB) accounts, including regular, salary, and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) accounts. The
movie is effective from June 1, 2025. SBI is the first major public sector bank to implement a blanket waiver on
minimum balance penalties for all SB account categories. Smart Points:
• Canara Bank – removed charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance across all types of Savings Bank
accounts - Effective from – June 1, 2025
• 1st PSB to implement a blanket waiver on minimum balance penalties for all SB account categories – SBI
• HQs of Canara Bank – Bengaluru | MD & CEO – K. Satyanarayana Raju | Non-Ex Chairman – Vijay Srirangam

112. T Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has been appointed as a parttime
Member of the 16th Finance Commission. He will be a part-time Member of the 16th FC from the date of
appointment to the date the Commission submits its report or 31 October 2025, whichever is earlier. The
appointment of Sankar is consequent to the resignation of one of the full-time Members of the 16th FC, Ajay
Narayan Jha, on personal grounds. Sankar is currently overseeing the key portfolios of the FinTech Department,
the Financial Markets Operations Department, and the Financial Markets Regulation Department at the RBI. The
government appointed Arvind Panagariya as the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission in 2023. The Finance
Commission is constituted by the President under article 280 of the Constitution, mainly to give its
recommendations on the distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the States and amongst the States
themselves. Smart Points:
• T Rabi Sankar – appointed as a part-time Member of the 16th Finance Commission
• He will be a part-time Member of the 16th FC till the date the Commission submits its report or 31 Oct 2025
• The appointment of Sankar is consequent to the resignation of – Ajay Narayan Jha (appointed in 2023)
• Finance Commission is constituted by the President under article 280 of the Constitution

113. Any GST returns such as GSTR1, GSTR 3B, etc., due on or before June 20, 2022, will be barred from filing
from July 2025 onwards as the GST Administration has set a date of July 2025 for barring GST Returns on the
expiry of 3 years. From the July 2025 tax period, for which form GSTR 3B will be furnished in August 2025, auto-
populated liability will become noneditable. This move aims to curb revenue leakages. The Finance Act 2023
amended the CGST Act, which prescribed that taxpayers will not be allowed to file their GST returns after the
expiry of 3 years from the due date of furnishing the said return. Smart Points:
• GST Administration has set a date of “July 2025” for barring GST Returns on the expiry of 3 years
• Any GST returns due on or before June 20, 2022, will be barred from filing from July 2025 onwards
• Auto-populated liabilities in GSTR-3B will become non-editable from July 2025

114. Sat Pal Bhanoo – given additional charge as MD & CEO of LIC for 3 months w.e.f. Jun 8, 2025 - succeeding –
Siddhartha Mohanty
HQs of LIC – Mumbai | Chairman – Siddhartha Mohanty | Founded in – 1956 | Tagline – ‘Yogakshemam
Vahamyaham’ 4 MDs of LIC – R. Doraiswamy, Sat Pal Bhanoo, Tablesh Pandey & M. Jagannath
115. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on gold loans up to Rs 2.5 lakh
to 85% per borrower, up from the 75% proposed in the draft norms issued in April 2025. For gold loans of more
than Rs 2.5 lakh and up to Rs 5 lakh, the LTV ratio has been set at 80%. For loans more than Rs 5 lakh, the central
bank has set an LTV of 75%. The new norms will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The LTV ratio will also
include the interest component. LTV ratio is the ratio of the outstanding loan amount, including any accrued and
unrealised interest, to the value of the collateral security on a reference date. The RBI further said that a lender
will not grant any advance or loan against primary gold or silver or financial assets backed by primary gold or
silver, e.g., units of Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or units of Mutual Funds. Gold or silver accepted as collateral
shall be valued based on the reference price corresponding to its actual purity (caratage). The monitoring of the
end-use of gold loans will only be necessitated if a borrower is availing loans under priority sector lending. In
case of any damage to the pledged eligible collateral by the lender during the tenor of loan, the cost of repair will
be borne by the lender. The pledged gold or silver collateral lying with a lender beyond two years from the date
of full repayment or settlement of loan shall be treated as unclaimed. The relaxation in gold loan norms comes
days after the Department of Financial Services (DFS) had written to the RBI to consider the requirements of
small gold loan borrowers and exclude those borrowing below Rs 2 lakh under the draft gold loan norms.
Smart Points:
• RBI increased loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on gold loans up to Rs 2.5 lakh to 85% per borrower w.e.f. Apr 1,
2026
- from 75% proposed in draft norms issued in Apr 2025 | LTV ratio – to include interest component
• LTV ratio for gold loans of: Rs 2.5 lakh - Rs 5 lakh – 80% | More than Rs 5 lakh – 75%
• LTV ratio – ratio of outstanding loan amount, including any accrued & unrealised interest, to value of
collateral security on a reference date

• Lender will not grant any advance or loan against primary gold or silver or financial assets backed by
primary gold/silver
• Pledged gold or silver collateral lying with a lender beyond 2 years from date of full repayment or settlement
of loan – to be treated as unclaimed
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

116. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced an operational framework for the
issuance of social bonds, sustainability bonds and sustainability-linked bonds, which together will be known as
‘Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)’ debt securities. This will help issuers raise money for more
sustainable projects, and bridge the gap for Sustainable Development Goals. The debt securities will be labelled
as ‘social bonds’ or ‘sustainability bonds’ or ‘sustainability-linked bonds’ only if the funds raised through the
issuance of such debt securities are proposed to be utilised for financing or refinancing projects. SEBI has
addressed the initial and continuous disclosures for sustainable securitised debt instruments that would be
based on international frameworks. Initial disclosures would be made in the offer document for the securities,
while continuous disclosures would be included in annual reports or other mandated formats. An issuer desirous
of issuing social bonds will have to make additional disclosures in the offer document for public issues or private
placements. In the case of refinancing, details of the existing debt are proposed to be refinanced, including the
amount outstanding. The issuer is required to appoint an independent third-party reviewer/ certifier to
ascertain that the ESG-labelled debt securities are in alignment with any of the recognised standards. An issuer
desirous of issuing sustainability bonds will have to comply with the provisions specified for green debt security.
The framework came into force for issuances of ESG debt securities with effect from June 5, 2025.
Smart Points:
• SEBI introduced an operational framework for issuance of ‘Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)’ debt
securities - W.e.f. Jun 5, 2025
• An issuer desirous of issuing social bonds will have to make additional disclosures in offer document for
public issues or private placements
• In case of refinancing, details of existing debt are proposed to be refinanced, including amount outstanding
• Issuer is required to appoint an independent third-party reviewer/ certifier to ascertain that ESG-labelled
debt securities are in alignment with any of recognised standards
• HQs of SEBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Tuhin Kanta Pandey | Established in – 1992

117. According to the data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Maharashtra
and Karnataka accounted for 51% of the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India during FY2024-25.
Maharashtra attracted maximum foreign inflows at $19.6 billion and accounted for 31% of the country’s total FDI
during FY2024-25, while Karnataka received $6.62 billion in overseas investments. Maharashtra and Karnataka
were followed by Delhi ($6 billion), Gujarat ($5.71 billion), Tamil Nadu ($3.68 billion), Haryana ($3.14 billion),
and Telangana ($3 billion). Overall, total FDI, which includes equity inflows, reinvested earnings and other
capital, grew 14% to $81.04 billion during the last FY. It is the highest in the last three years. The same stood at
$71.3 billion in 2023-24. Smart Points:
• As per DPIIT, Maharashtra & Karnataka – accounted for 51% of FDI inflows into India during FY25
- Foreign inflows in FY25: Maharashtra – $19.6 billion (31% of total) | Karnataka – $6.62 billion
• Followed by – Delhi ($6 billion), Gujarat ($5.71 billion), TN ($3.68 billion), Haryana ($3.14 billion) &
Telangana ($3 billion)
• Total FDI – grew 14% to $81.04 billion during FY24 (highest in last 3 years) | FDI in FY24 – $71.3 billion
• HQs of DPIIT – New Delhi | Secretary – Amardeep Singh Bhatia | Founded in – 1995 (Functions under
Ministry of C&I)

118. Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank PLC has become the first foreign corporate issuer to list green bonds on the NSE
International Exchange (NSE IX) at GIFT IFSC. The green bonds, valued at LKR 2.5 billion, are Sri Lanka’s first
capital market debt instruments dedicated to renewable energy, focusing primarily on funding solar energy
projects. These bonds align with Sri Lanka’s goal of generating 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by
2030. NSE IX, established in 2017, continues to dominate the market with over 99% share in GIFT IFSC. V
Balasubramaniam is the MD & CEO of NSE IX. K Rajaraman is the Chairperson of IFSCA. While, Thimal
Perera is the CEO of DFCC Bank PLC. Smart Points:
• DFCC Bank PLC (Sri Lanka) – became 1st foreign corporate issuer to list green bonds on NSE IX at GIFT IFSC
- Valued at – LKR 2.5 billion | They are Sri Lanka’s 1st capital market debt instruments dedicated to renewable
energy
• NSE IX – dominate market with over 99% share in GIFT IFSC
• HQs of DFCC Bank PLC – Colombo, Sri Lanka | CEO – Thimal Perera
119. The country’s biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) paid a dividend of ₹8,076.84 crore to the government
for the financial year 2024-25. The dividend cheque was presented to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by
SBI Chairman C.S. Setty. SBI declared a dividend of ₹15.90 per share for the financial year 2024-25, higher than
₹13.70 per equity share distributed for the previous year. SBI had paid a dividend of ₹6,959.29 crore to the
government last year. During 2024-25, the bank earned a record net profit of ₹70,901 crore, as against ₹61,077
crore in the preceding year, registering a 16% increase. Smart Points:
• India’s biggest lender, SBI – paid a dividend of ₹8,076.84 Cr to government for FY25 (from ₹6,959.29 Cr in
FY24)
• SBI – declared a dividend of ₹15.90 per share for FY25 (from ₹13.70 per equity share distributed for FY24)
• During 2024-25, SBI earned a record net profit – increased 16% to ₹70,901 Cr (from ₹61,077 Cr in FY24) •
HQs of SBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Challa Sreenivasulu Setty
MDs – Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh | Ashwini Kumar Tewari | Vinay M. Tonse | Rama Mohan Rao Amara

120. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is set to introduce a validated Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) handle, namely, “@valid”, for investor-facing intermediaries to ensure secure payments and combat fraud.
It is expected to come into force from October 1, 2025. The UPI address of intermediaries shall use a unique and
easily relatable handle ‘@valid’, combined with the name of the self-certified syndicate banks. These handles will
be allocated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). For example, the complete handle, for a
registered broker, will respectively look like: abc.bkr@validhdfc. A valid payment will show a thumbs-up symbol
within a green triangle to ensure awareness among the non-English speaking population. SEBI further said that
no existing SIP will be affected, and the old IDs will be discontinued from December 11, 2026. Investors will have
to verify the IDs and make sure that they transact only with verified intermediaries, and they can do this through
another new tool called the ‘SEBI Check’ application.
Smart Points:
• SEBI will introduce validated UPI handle, “@valid”, for investor-facing intermediaries, to come into force from
Oct 1, 2025
- To ensure secure payments & combat fraud
• UPI address of intermediaries – to use handle ‘@valid’, combined with name of self-certified syndicate banks
- Handles will be allocated by – NPCI | A complete handle will respectively look like – abc.bkr@validhdfc
• No existing SIP will be affected & old IDs will be discontinued from Dec 11, 2026
• HQs of SEBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Tuhin Kanta Pandey | Established in – 1992

121. S&P Global Ratings Singapore PTE Ltd has become the biggest foreign credit rating agency to set up a base
in GIFT City in Gujarat. The entity was recently granted permission to conduct operations by the International
Financial Services Authority (IFSCA). CareEdge Global IFSC Ltd, a subsidiary of CARE Ratings Ltd, became the 1st
credit rating agency to establish a base in GIFT City in October 2024. S&P Global also unveiled its first Sovereign
Ratings of Global Economies that assigned ratings to 39 countries including India which received a BBB+ rating.
In July 2024, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular empowering credit rating
agencies to undertake credit rating activities under IFSCA. In GIFT City, credit rating agencies can play a critical
role in listing of debt by assigning credit ratings to companies seeking to raise capital. Similarly, when Indian
companies get listed on the stock exchanges in GIFT IFSC, the rating agencies can provide credit ratings for IPOs.
These entities can also assign ratings for trade finance instruments like letters of credit or to certificates of
deposit issued by banks operating within GIFT IFSC. Smart Points:
• S&P Global Ratings Singapore PTE Ltd – became biggest foreign credit rating agency to set up a base in GIFT
City - It recently granted permission to conduct operations by IFSCA
• CareEdge Global IFSC Ltd – became 1st credit rating agency to establish a base in GIFT City in Oct 2024
• S&P Global – unveiled its 1st Sovereign Ratings of Global Economies that assigned ratings to 39 countries
including India - India received a BBB+ rating
• HQs of IFSCA – Gandhinagar, Gujarat | Chairman – K. Rajaraman | Ex. Director – Dipesh Shah |
Established – 2020

122. Pune-based Vishweshvar Cooperative Bank Ltd has got the ‘Scheduled Bank Status’ from the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI). With this Vishweshwar Cooperative Bank has become the 50th cooperative bank in India and the
3rd bank from Pune to get the ‘Scheduled Bank Status’ from the RBI. Scheduled banks are banks that are listed in
the 2nd schedule of the ‘Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934’. These banks can be classified into 2 categories:
Scheduled Commercial Banks and Scheduled Co-operative Banks. To become a Scheduled Bank, a minimum paid-
up capital of Rs 5 lakhs is required. But, in order to operate as a commercial bank, the RBI recommended a
minimum capital of Rs 100 crores. Scheduled banks are liable for low-interest loans from the RBI, membership in
clearinghouses, and a rediscount from the RBI for 1st class exchange bills. All commercial banks, including
nationalized, international, cooperative, and regional rural banks, fall under scheduled banks. Smart Points:
• Vishweshvar Cooperative Bank Ltd – got ‘Scheduled Bank Status’ from RBI
- It became 50th cooperative bank in India & 3rd bank from Pune to get ‘Scheduled Bank Status’
• Scheduled banks – banks that are listed in 2nd schedule of ‘Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934’
- Classified into 2 categories – Scheduled Commercial Banks & Scheduled Co-operative Banks
- Include – All commercial banks, including nationalized, international, cooperative & regional rural banks
• Minimum required paid-up capital to operate as: Scheduled Bank – Rs 5 lakh | Commercial bank – Rs 100 Cr
• HQs of Vishweshvar Cooperative Bank Ltd – Pune, MH | Chairman – Anil Bharatsheth Gadve | CEO – SV Apte

123. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has received the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI)
approval to launch monthly electricity futures contracts, which aim to provide market participants with effective
hedging tools against electricity price volatility, enable more accurate price signals in the power sector and
encourage capital investments across the electricity value chain including generation, transmission, distribution
and retail. Plans are underway to gradually introduce contracts for difference and other long-duration electricity
derivatives such as quarterly and annual contracts. NSE was the 1st stock exchange to establish an electricity
exchange “Power Exchange India” in 2008. NSE Investments holds a 29% stake in PXIL (Power Exchange India
Limited). India’s journey towards achieving its net-zero emissions target demands substantial investment -
estimated at over $250 billion year on year till 2047, as per NITI Aayog report. By 2030, renewable energy
sources such as solar and wind are expected to contribute over 50% of the nation’s installed power capacity.
Earlier, SEBI also allowed commodity derivatives exchange MCX to launch derivatives on electricity.
Smart Points:
• NSE received SEBI’s approval to launch monthly electricity futures contracts
• NSE – 1st stock exchange to establish an electricity exchange “Power Exchange India” in 2008
• NSE Investments holds a 29% stake in PXIL (Power Exchange India Limited)
• By 2030, renewable energy sources are expected to contribute over 50% of nation’s installed power capacity
• HQs of NSE – Mumbai, Maharashtra | MD & CEO – Ashishkumar Chauhan | Established in – 1992

124. Groww Mutual Fund has launched the “Groww Nifty India Internet ETF”, the first-ever exchange traded fund
that aims to track the ‘Nifty India Internet Index’. The fund aims to invest in internet-first businesses across
sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, online travel, digital payments, stockbroking, and entertainment. The
minimum investment during a New Fund Offer (NFO) is Rs 500 and there is no exit load. The ‘Nifty India Internet
Index’, which serves as the underlying benchmark, currently consists of 21 listed companies. The index is free
float market capitalization-weighted with a cap of 20% per constituent and is rebalanced quarterly and
reconstituted semi-annually. The index composition spans across six broad sectors: e-retail and e-commerce
(36%), financial technology (26%), internet-enabled retail (19%), stockbroking (8%), digital travel (10%) and
online media (1.5%). Over 83% of the portfolio comprises mid and large-cap stocks. India currently has 886
million smartphone users and 58% internet penetration, with tier-II and III cities emerging as growth engines.
Smart Points:
• Groww MF launched “Groww Nifty India Internet ETF”, 1st-ever exchange-traded fund to track ‘Nifty India
Internet Index’
• Minimum investment during a New Fund Offer (NFO) – Rs 500 | There is no exit load
• ‘Nifty India Internet Index’ – currently consists of 21 listed companies
• Index composition spans across six broad sectors: E-retail & e-commerce – 36% | Financial technology –
26%
- Internet-enabled retail – 19% | Stockbroking – 8% | Digital travel – 10% | Online media – 1.5%
• Over 83% of portfolio comprises mid & large-cap stocks
• HQs of Groww MF – Bangalore, Karnataka | CEO – Varun Gupta | Founded in – 2016

125. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has discontinued the daily liquidity support to the banking system through
daily variable rate repo (VRR) auctions due to the improving liquidity conditions. Entities availing funds from
this instrument will now shift to either call money or Tri-Party Repos (TREPS) market to avail funds. The
decision came after systemic liquidity turned positive and crossed the Rs 3 lakh crore-mark. The discontinuation
of the daily VRR comes into effect from June 11. The daily VRR was introduced on January 16, 2025, to support
liquidity in the banking system, which was under pressure. Data from the RBI’s website shows that the central
bank injected Rs 43.61 lakh crore into the system through the daily VRR auctions. Smart Points:
• RBI discontinued daily liquidity support to banking system through daily variable rate repo auctions, w.e.f.
Jun 11, 2025
• Entities availing funds from this instrument will now shift to either call money or Tri-Party Repos market to
avail funds
• Systemic liquidity – turned positive & crossed Rs 3 lakh Cr-mark
• Daily VRR – introduced on Jan 16, 2025, to support liquidity in banking system
- RBI injected Rs 43.61 lakh Cr into system through daily VRR auctions
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
 Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

126. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a new circular easing Know Your Customer (KYC) norms to
enhance access and simplify procedures for reactivating dormant bank accounts and claiming unclaimed
deposits. As per the circular, customers can now update their KYC details at any bank branch, including nonhome
branches, to activate inoperative accounts and access unclaimed deposits. In a customer-friendly shift, the RBI
has also allowed the use of a Video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) for such updates. In another
major reform, Banking Correspondents (BCs), who operate in remote and underbanked areas, have been
officially empowered to facilitate periodic and updated KYC processes. Customers with no change in KYC
information or only an address change may now provide self-declaration through BCs. These declarations can be
submitted electronically or in physical form, including the use of biometric-based e-KYC authentication. The RBI
also reiterated the existing mandate that banks must transfer unclaimed deposits or inoperative accounts older
than 10 years to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund. Additionally, in a relief to customers, the
RBI stated that low-risk accounts with pending KYC will not face any service disruptions until June 30, 2026.
However, banks are required to send at least three notifications, including one physical letter, before initiating
any action due to non-compliance. Smart Points:
• RBI issued a new circular easing KYC norms to enhance access & simplify procedures for reactivating
dormant bank accounts & claiming unclaimed deposits
• Customers can update their KYC details at any bank branch to activate inoperative accounts & access
unclaimed deposits
• RBI also allowed use of a Video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) for such updates
• Banking Correspondents (BCs) – officially empowered to facilitate periodic & updated KYC processes
• Banks must transfer unclaimed deposits or inoperative accounts older than 10 years to DEA Fund
• Low-risk accounts with pending KYC will not face any service disruptions until Jun 30, 2026
- Banks are required to send at least three notifications, including one physical letter, before initiating any
action due to non-compliance
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

127. CreditAccess Grameen Ltd, a non-bank microfinance institution, has secured a $100 million multicurrency
syndicated social loan facility, qualifying as an External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) under the automatic route
of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This ECB facility is the first of its kind in India’s microfinance sector,
comprising Japanese Yen (¥) and United States Dollar ($) currencies, predominantly raised from banks in South
Asia and the Far East. This transaction marks the 2nd syndicated loan facility led by Standard Chartered Bank for
the company. The bank had previously bid for CreditAccess Grameen’s landmark $200 million syndicated ECB in
2023. The social loan would adhere to CA Grameen’s Social Loan Framework, which aligns with the Social Loan
Principles 2023, stipulating the use of proceeds, social development goals, and governance. ECB is a loan availed
by an Indian entity from a non-resident lender with a minimum average maturity. Most of these loans are
provided by foreign commercial banks buyers’ credit, suppliers’ credit, securitized instruments such as Floating
Rate Notes and Fixed Rate Bonds etc.
Smart Points:
• CreditAccess Grameen Ltd – secured $100 million multi-currency syndicated social loan facility
- Qualifying as an External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) under automatic route of RBI
• This ECB facility is 1st of its kind in India’s microfinance sector, comprising – Japanese Yen (¥)& US Dollar ($)
currencies
• This transaction marks 2nd syndicated loan facility led by Standard Chartered Bank for company
• The bank had previously bid for CreditAccess Grameen’s landmark $200 million syndicated ECB in 2023
• ECB – a loan availed by an Indian entity from a non-resident lender with a minimum average maturity
• HQs of CreditAccess Grameen Ltd – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CEO – Ganesh Narayanan

128. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Pralay Mondal as the Managing
Director and CEO of CSB Bank for 3 years with effect from September 15, 2025. He has been the Bank’s interim
MD and CEO since April 2022. Pralay Mondal joined CSB Bank in September 2020 after serving as the head of
retail banking at Axis Bank. At CSB, he initially took on the role of President overseeing retail, SME, operations,
and IT, before being promoted to Deputy Managing Director in February 2022.
Smart Points:
• Pralay Mondal – reappointed as MD & CEO of CSB Bank for 3 years, w.e.f. Sep 15, 2025
• HQs of CSB Bank – Thrissur, Kerala | MD & CEO – Pralay Mondal

129. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the “Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of
Securities (STRIPS)” in State Government Securities (SGS). STRIPS are basically zero-coupon securities where the
investor receives a payment at maturity only. STRIPS allow investors to hold and trade the individual interest and
principal components of eligible Government securities as separate securities of varying tenure. As per the RBI,
all fixed coupon securities issued by State Governments/UTs having a residual maturity of up to 14 years and
minimum outstanding of Rs 1,000 crore as on the day of stripping, provided that such securities are reckoned as
an eligible investment to meet Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) requirements and are transferable. For placing the
request for the stripping, market participants with SGL accounts with the RBI can place requests directly in the
RBI Core Banking Solution (e-Kuber system).
Smart Points:
• RBI allowed “Separate Trading of Registered Interest & Principal of Securities (STRIPS)” in State
Government Securities
• STRIPS – zero-coupon securities where investor receives a payment at maturity only
• All fixed coupon securities issued by States/UTs are reckoned as an eligible investment to meet SLR
requirements & are transferable

- They must have a residual maturity of up to 14 years & minimum outstanding of Rs 1,000 Cr as on day of
stripping
• For placing request for stripping, market participants with SGL accounts with RBI can place requests directly
in RBI Core Banking Solution (e-Kuber system)
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta
130. The index for primary articles, which holds a
weightage of 22.62%, decreased by 0.05% to 184.3 in
May 2025 from 184.4 in April 2025. Within this
category, mineral prices saw a notable fall of 7.16%,
while non-food articles also declined by 0.63%. In
contrast, food articles became costlier by
0.56%, contributing to the overall price trends within
this group. Among the 22 sub-groups under this
category, 10 sub-groups, including other manufacturing,
manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, witnessed
price increases. On the other hand, 9 groups, such as food products, basic metals, rubber and plastic goods,
chemicals, and electrical equipment, saw a decline. The remaining 3 sub-groups recorded no change in prices.
The WPI Food Index (Weight 24.38%) has increased from 189.3 in April 2025 to 189.5 in May 2025. Despite this
increase, the annual rate of food inflation based on the WPI Food Index slowed, dropping from 2.55% in April to
1.72% in May. For March 2025, the final WPI for all commodities, based on the 2011–12 base year, and the
inflation rate stood at 154.8 and 2.25%, respectively. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT) releases the index number of wholesale price in India monthly on the 14th of every month with a
time lag of two weeks of the reference month. Smart Points:
• Index for primary articles (holding weightage of 22.62%) – decreased by 0.05% to 184.3 in May’25 (from
184.4 in Apr’25)
- Within this category: Mineral prices – declined by 7.16% | Non-food articles – declined
by 0.63% - Food articles – became costlier by 0.56%
• WPI Food Index (Weight 24.38%) – increased to 189.5 in May 2025 (from 189.3 in April 2025)
• Annual rate of food inflation based on WPI Food Index – dropped to 1.72% in May (from 2.55% in April)
• For Mar’25: Final WPI for all commodities (based on 2011-12) – 154.8 | Inflation rate – 2.25%
• DPIIT releases index number of wholesale price in India monthly on 14th of every month with a time lag of
two weeks of reference month

131. According to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), India’s headline retail inflation fell to
2.82% in May 2025, the lowest year-on-year rate since February 2019. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading
was down 34 basis points from 3.16% in April. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index
(CFPI), dropped to 0.99% in May, its lowest since October 2021. This represents a steep fall from 1.78% in April
and 8.69% in May 2024. The rural CPI inflation declined to 2.59% in May from 2.92% in April, while rural food
inflation dropped to 0.95% from 1.85%. Urban CPI inflation eased to 3.07%, down from 3.36%, with urban food
inflation falling to 0.96% from 1.64%. Further, housing inflation (urban) is 3.16% in May 2025 against 3.06% in
April 2025; education inflation (combined) is 4.12% in May 2025 against 4.13% in April 2025; health inflation
(combined) is 4.34% in May 2025 against 4.25% in April 2025; transport & Communication (combined) is 3.85%
in May 2025 against 3.67% in April 2025; and fuel & light (combined) is 2.78% in May 2025 against 2.92% in
April 2025. Among states and UTs, Kerala recorded the highest inflation at 6.46%, followed by Punjab at 5.21%,
Jammu and Kashmir at 4.55%, Haryana at 3.67%, and Uttarakhand at 3.47%. Telangana reported the lowest
inflation at 0.55%. The RBI, mandated by the government to maintain retail inflation at 4% with a tolerance
margin of plus or minus 2%, has projected CPI inflation for 2025-26 at 3.7%. The quarterly projections are 2.9%
for Q1, 3.4% for Q2, 3.9% for Q3, and 4.4% for Q4.
Smart Points:
• As per data released by NSO, India’s headline retail inflation – fell to 2.82% in May’25 (lowest y-o-y rate
since Feb’19)
• Changes in various factors in May 2025 (compared to April 2025):
- CPI – down by 34 basis points (from 3.16%) | Food inflation – dropped to 0.99% (lowest since Oct’21)
- Rural CPI inflation – declined to 2.59% (from 2.92%) | Rural food inflation – dropped to 0.95% (from
1.85%)
- Urban CPI inflation – eased to 3.07% (from 3.36%) | Urban food inflation – dropped to 0.96% (from
1.64%)
- Housing inflation (urban) – 3.16% (from 3.06%) | Education inflation (combined) – 4.12% (from
4.13%)
- Health inflation (combined) – 4.34% (from 4.25%) | Transport & Communication (combined) – 3.85%
(from 3.67%)
- Fuel & light (combined) – 2.78% (from 2.92%)
• Highest inflation among states & UTs – Kerala (6.46%)
- Followed by – Punjab (5.21%), J&K (4.55%), Haryana (3.67%) & Uttarakhand (3.47%)
• Lowest inflation among states & UTs – Telangana (0.55%)
• RBI projected CPI inflation for 2025-26 at 3.7%
- RBI is mandated by govt to maintain retail inflation at 4% (with a tolerance margin of plus or minus 2%)
• HQs of NSO – New Delhi | Chairperson – Prof. Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar

132. The Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSC Bank) has established India’s 1st cyber-security operation
centre (C-SOC), namely, “Sahakar Suraksha”, to protect customers against increasing cyber threats. The facility
has been set up in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, at a cost of Rs 50 crore. The CSOC's services will be provided free of cost
to member banks. The C-SOC is designed to serve 31 district central cooperative banks in Maharashtra. The
system, powered by an AI-driven platform, is capable of detecting known and emerging cyber threats in real-time
and issuing immediate alerts to participating banks. MSC Bank also plans to offer cyber hygiene training to
officials and staff of member banks to improve awareness and preparedness against online threats.
Smart Points:
• MSC Bank – established India’s 1st cyber-security operation centre (C-SOC), “Sahakar Suraksha”, in Vashi, Navi
Mumbai
- To protect customers against increasing cyber threats | Cost – Rs 50 Cr
• C-SOC is designed to serve 31 district central cooperative banks in Maharashtra
• HQs of MSC Bank – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Bhau Bhagwant Kad | CEO – Vijay Shankarrao
Ghonse

133. 1994-batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS officer Anuradha Thakur, an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the
Department of Economic Affairs, has been appointed to the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) Board
as a part-time member. Other part-time members are - M. Rajeshwar Rao, Deputy Governor at the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) and Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, Secretary at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. All 3 part-time members
are ex-officio - RBI Deputy Governor, Economic Affairs Secretary and Corporate Affairs Secretary. Overall, the
SEBI Board comprises a chairman, 4 full-time members and 3 part-time members. Further, Anuradha Thakur will
take charge as Economic Affairs Secretary from July 1, 2025, after incumbent Ajay Seth superannuates on June
30, 2025. Smart Points:
• Anuradha Thakur (Officer on Special Duty at DEA) – appointed to SEBI Board as a part-time member
• Other part-time members – M. Rajeshwar Rao (DG at RBI) & Deepti Gaur Mukerjee (Secretary at MoCA)
• All 3 part-time members are ex-officio – RBI DG, Economic Affairs Secretary & Corporate Affairs Secretary
• Overall, SEBI Board comprises – a chairman, 4 full-time members & 3 part-time members
• Anuradha Thakur – to take charge as Economic Affairs Secretary from Jul 1, 2025 (succeeding - Ajay Seth)
• HQs of SEBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Tuhin Kanta Pandey | Established in – 1992

134. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the All-India House Price Index (HPI) increased by 3.1%
annually in Q4 2024-25 compared to 3.1% growth in the previous quarter and 4.1% a year ago. The RBI has
released its quarterly HPI for Q4 2024-25, based on transaction-level data received from the registration
authorities in 10 major cities. The 10 cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi,
Kolkata, Lucknow, and Mumbai. Kolkata experienced the highest growth at 8.8%, while Kochi saw a contraction
of 2.3%. On a sequential (q-o-q) basis, all-India HPI increased by 0.9% in Q4 2024-25, with Bengaluru, Jaipur,
Kolkata, and Chennai showing notable increases.
Smart Points:
• RBI released its quarterly HPI for Q4 2024-25, based on transaction-level data received from registration
authorities in
10 major cities
- Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow & Mumbai
• As per RBI, All-India House Price Index (HPI) – increased by 3.1% annually in Q4 2024-25
- From – 3.1% growth in previous quarter & 4.1% a year ago
• Highest growth – Kolkata (8.8%) | Highest contraction – Kochi (2.3%)
• On a sequential (q-o-q) basis, all-India HPI – increased by 0.9% in Q4 2024-25
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

135. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released

the final directions on project finance norms, asking
lenders to maintain a general provision of 1.25% on
Commercial Real Estate (CRE), and 1% each on
Commercial Real Estate-Residential Housing (CRE-
RH) and other portfolio during the construction
phase. Banks shall have to maintain 1% general
provisions on commercial real estate projects during
the operational phase after the commencement of
repayment of interest and principal, 0.75% on
residential housing (CRE-RH), and 0.40% on all
other projects. The final norms will come into force
with effect from October 1, 2025. As per the final regulations, if the date of commencement of commercial
operations (DCCO) deferment is classified as standard, lenders have to additional specific provisions of 0.375%
for infrastructure project loans and 0.5625% for non-infrastructure project loans (including CRE and CRE-RH),
for each quarter of deferment. The banks have to monitor the performance of the project and any build-up of
stress on an ongoing basis during the construction phase and shall be expected to initiate a resolution plan well
in advance. Any such credit event shall be reported to the Central Repository of Information on Large Credit
(CRILC) by the lender in the prescribed weekly as well as the CRILCMain report. The bank shall have to
undertake a prima facie review of the debtor account within 30 days from the date of such credit event (Review
Period). The upgradation of NPAs can only happen after the account performs satisfactorily post actual DCCO.
The project finance account downgraded to NPA can be upgraded after successful implementation of the
resolution plan, provided no further request for DCCO deferment is received, RBI added. Before disbursement of
funds, a lender shall have to ensure there is sufficient land of 50% for infrastructure projects under PPP model,
and 75% for all other projects.
Smart Points:
• RBI released final directions on project finance norms, to maintain a general provision by:
- Lenders (during construction phase): 1.25% – on CRE | 1% – on CRE-RH | 1% – on other portfolio
- Banks: 1% – on CRE projects (during operational phase after commencement of repayment of interest &
principal) | 0.75% – on CRE-RH | 0.40% – on all other projects
• Final norms will come into force w.e.f. Oct 1, 2025
• If date of commencement of commercial operations (DCCO) deferment is classified as standard:
- Lenders have to additional specific provisions, for each quarter of deferment, of:
o 0.375% – for infrastructure project loans
o 0.5625% – for non-infrastructure project loans (including CRE & CRE-RH)
• Any such credit event shall be reported to Central Repository of Information on Large Credit (CRILC) by
lender in prescribed weekly as well as CRILCMain report
• Bank have to undertake a prima facie review of debtor account within 30 days from date of such credit event
• Before disbursement of funds, a lender shall have to ensure there is sufficient land of:
- 50% – for infrastructure projects under PPP model | 75% – for all other projects
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

136. As part of ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, the US attacked three key nuclear sites of Iran - Natanz, Isfahan
and Fordow - as it joined Israel in its offensive against Iran. Located about 220 km southeast of Tehran, Natanz is
Iran’s main enrichment site that had Uranium enriched up to 60% purity before Israeli strikes destroyed a part of
this facility. Buried under a mountain about 100 km southwest of Tehran and guarded by anti-aircraft batteries,
Fordow nuclear facility looks to be designed to ward off airstrikes. Isfahan facility is situated some 350 km
southeast of Tehran and houses three Chinese research reactors and laboratories linked to Iran’s atomic
programme. The US forces used six B-2 bombers to drop 12 bunker-buster bombs on Fordow. Navy submarines
fired 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Natanz and Isfahan, while a B2 dropped two bunker busters on Natanz.
Smart Points:
• US attacked three key nuclear sites of Iran - Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow - as it joined Israel in its offensive
against Iran - Under – ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’
• Natanz – Iran’s main enrichment site that had Uranium enriched up to 60% purity, located ~220 km
southeast of Tehran
• US – Washington, D.C. – US Dollar | 47th President – Donald Trump | 50th VP – James David Vance
• Iran – Tehran – Rial | President – Masoud Pezeshkian | Supreme Leader – Ali Khamenei
• Israel – Jerusalem – Israeli Shekel | President – Isaac Herzog | PM – Benjamin Netanyahu

137. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced that the payments to International Financial
Services Centre units are now exempt from Tax Deduction at Source (TDS). This applies to finance companies,
fund management entities, recognised clearing corporations and stock exchanges. This new rule is effective from
July 1, 2025. The exemption will cover payments under several categories, including those made by stock
exchanges, commission incentives, interest from leases, freight or hire charges from finance firms, portfolio
management fees, advisory charges and other service fees, professional and technical fee and rent for data
centres. The payee must furnish a statement-cum-declaration to the payer. The relief is available for 10
consecutive assessment years chosen by the payee.
Smart Points:
• As per CBDT, payments to International Financial Services Centre units are now exempt from Tax Deduction
at Source
- This applies to finance companies, fund management entities, recognised clearing corporations & stock
exchanges
• New rule is effective from – Jul 1, 2025
• Payee must furnish a statement-cum-declaration to payer
• Relief is available for – 10 consecutive assessment years chosen by payee
• HQs of CBDT – New Delhi | Chairman – Ravi Agrawal | Formed in – 1944

138. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lowered the priority sector lending (PSL) targets for small finance
banks (SFBs) to 60% of their loans from 75% from the FY 2025-26. PSL comprises loans to agriculture, MSMEs,
export credit, education, housing, social infrastructure, renewable energy, weaker sections and other segments.
As per the RBI, the additional component (35%) of PSL will be reduced to 20%, thereby making the overall PSL
target as 60% of ANBC (adjusted net bank credit) or Credit Equivalent of Off-Balance Sheet Exposures (CEOBE),
whichever is higher. SFBs will continue to allocate 40% of their ANBC or CEOBE, whichever is higher, to different
sub-sectors under PSL as per the extant PSL prescriptions, while the balance 20% can be allocated to any one or
more subsectors under the PSL where the bank has a competitive advantage. The revised guidelines will be
effective from April 1, 2025. In March 2025, the RBI issued revised PSL guidelines for banks, enhancing limits for
loans such as housing and education, even as the PSL target for urban cooperative banks (UCBs) was brought
down from 75% to 60%.
Smart Points:
• RBI lowered priority sector lending (PSL) targets for SFBs to 60% of their loans from FY26 (from 75%)
- PSL comprises loans to agriculture, MSMEs, export credit, education, housing, social infrastructure,
renewable energy, weaker sections & other segments
 - Revised guidelines will be effective from – Apr 1, 2025
• Additional component (35%) of PSL will be reduced to 20%, making overall PSL target as 60% of ANBC or
CEOBE, whichever is higher
• SFBs will continue to allocate 40% of their ANBC or CEOBE, whichever is higher, to different sub-sectors
under PSL as per extant PSL prescriptions
- Balance 20% – to be allocated to any one or more sub-sectors under PSL where bank has a competitive
advantage
• RBI issued revised PSL guidelines for banks in Mar 2025, enhancing limits for loans
- PSL target for UCBs – brought down to 60% (from 75%)
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

139. First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has successfully
implemented “eMACH.ai” Lending platform, developed by Chennai-based Intellect Design Arena. This strategic
move marks a significant leap in FAB’s credit strategy, transitioning the bank from traditional manual processes
to a comprehensive, automated digital lending workflow that enhances both operational efficiency and customer
experience. The eMACH.ai Lending platform is designed to automate a wide range of credit processes, seamlessly
integrating with more than 10 subsystems within FAB. The platform leverages Intellect’s ‘First Principles’
technology suite, which includes over 329 microservices, 1,757 APIs, and 535 events, empowering banks to
design future-ready, composable solutions tailored to their unique needs. Smart Points:
• First Abu Dhabi Bank – implemented “eMACH.ai” Lending platform | Developed by – Intellect Design Arena
(Chennai)
- To automate a wide range of credit processes, seamlessly integrating with 10+ subsystems within FAB
• FAB – largest bank in UAE
• UAE – Abu Dhabi – Dirham | President – Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

140. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved a set of relaxations for Foreign
Portfolio Investors (FPIs) that invest exclusively in Government Securities (G-Secs), designated as ‘GSFPIs’.
Among the major relaxations, SEBI will harmonize the periodicity of KYC reviews for GS-FPIs with that of the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), effectively reducing the frequency of mandatory checks. GS-FPIs will also be exempt
from furnishing investor group details, which are largely necessary for monitoring equity and corporate bond
exposures. Furthermore, non-resident Indians, Overseas Citizens of India, and resident Indians will now be
allowed to be constituents of GS-FPIs, without the restrictions typically applied to other FPIs. Existing safeguards
for resident Indian participation - such as limits on exposure via the Liberalised Remittance Scheme - will
continue to apply. In another procedural ease, GS-FPIs will now have up to 30 days, instead of the earlier 7, to
intimate SEBI about material changes in their setup. Additionally, onboarding and classification of FPIs as GS-
FPIs-whether existing or prospective—will be governed by conditions specified by SEBI from time to time.
Several global index providers, such as JPMorgan, Bloomberg, and FTSE Russell, included Indian G-Secs in their
respective indices. These developments have triggered substantial passive inflows into India’s bond markets.
SEBI noted that FPI investments in securities eligible under the Fully Accessible Route(FAR) have already seen a
significant increase, crossing Rs 3 lakh crore as of March 2025.
Smart Points:
• SEBI approved a set of relaxations for FPIs that invest exclusively in Government Securities (G-Secs), aka ‘GS-
FPIs’
• SEBI will harmonize periodicity of KYC reviews for GS-FPIs with that of RBI, reducing frequency of
mandatory checks
• NRIs, OCIs & resident Indians – now be allowed to be constituents of GS-FPIs
• Existing safeguards for resident Indian participation (such as limits on exposure via LRS) – continue to apply
• GS-FPIs – now have up to 30 days, from 7, to intimate SEBI about material changes in their setup
• Onboarding & classification of FPIs as GS-FPIs-whether existing or prospective – to be governed by
conditions specified by SEBI from time to time
• FPI investments in securities eligible under Fully Accessible Route (FAR) – crossed Rs 3 lakh Cr (as of Mar
2025)
• HQs of SEBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Tuhin Kanta Pandey | Established in – 1992

141. Larsen & Toubro (L&T), an infrastructure and technology conglomerate, has listed India’s first
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) bonds on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), setting a precedent
for a greener and more sustainable financial future in India. The company has successfully raised ₹500 crore
through Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) at a competitive coupon rate of 6.35%. This issuance falls under
SEBI’s newly introduced ESG and sustainability-linked bond framework. The company’s broader vision is to
achieve water neutrality by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2040. The NCDs, with a 3-year maturity period, are set
to mature on June 19, 2028, with interest payments made annually. The transaction was issued in partnership
with HSBC, which served as the sole lead arranger. Smart Points:
• L&T – listed India’s 1st ESG bonds on the National Stock Exchange (NSE)
- It raised ₹500 crore through NCDs at a competitive coupon rate of 6.35%
• NCDs’ maturity period – 3 years | Set to mature on – June 19, 2028 | Lead arranger – HSBC
• HQs of L&T – Mumbai, Maharashtra | CEO & MD – S. N. Subrahmanyan | President – Subramanian Sarma

142. ESAF Small Finance Bank MD and CEO K Paul Thomas has been elected as Chairman of Sa-Dhan, an RBI
recognized self-regulatory organisation (SRO) and an association of microfinance and impact finance institutions.
Consequent to the election of the new members, Sa-Dhan Board reconstituted with Paul Thomas as the
Chairperson; Sadaf Sayeed (MD & CEO of Muthoot Microfin); and Mukul Jaiswal (MD of Cashphor) as co-chairs;
and Vivekananda Salimath (Chair of IDF) as Treasurer. Smart Points:
• K Paul Thomas (MD & CEO of ESAF SFB) – elected as Chairman of Sa-Dhan
• Sa-Dhan Board reconstituted as:
- Co-chairs – Sadaf Sayeed (MD & CEO of Muthoot Microfin) & Mukul Jaiswal (MD of
Cashphor) - Treasurer – Vivekananda Salimath (Chair of IDF)
• HQs of ESAF SFB – Thrissur, Kerala | MD & CEO – Kadambelil Paul Thomas | Chairman – P. R. Ravi Mohan
• HQs of Sa-Dhan – New Delhi | CEO – Jiji Mammen | Chairperson – Paul Thomas
143. KredX has entered into a strategic alliance with the State Bank of India (SBI) to broaden the reach of digital
trade receivable discounting via its RBI-licensed TReDS platform, Domestic Trade Exchange (DTX). This
collaboration is set to make a significant impact on the ₹30 lakh crore financing gap faced by the country’s micro,
small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). By leveraging SBI’s extensive scale and KredX’s advanced technology
infrastructure, the partnership is designed to create a smarter, faster, and more inclusive supply chain finance
ecosystem, enhancing working capital access for MSME suppliers across diverse sectors and business sizes. The
DTX platform, operating under the RBI’s TReDS framework, is engineered to go beyond traditional lending by
offering a digital-first, end-to-end trade finance solution. Manish Kumar is the Founder and CEO of KredX..
Smart Points:
• KredX + SBI = alliance to broaden reach of digital trade receivable discounting via its RBI-licensed TReDS
platform,
Domestic Trade Exchange (DTX)
• DTX platform – operating under RBI’s TReDS framework
• HQs of KredX – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Founder & CEO – Manish Kumar

144. Odisha government issued an official directive removing HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank from the list
of empanelled banks authorised to handle the business and deposits of the State Government and its supported
organisations. This action on banks is due to ‘persisting poor performance’ in some flagship government
schemes over the last two financial years. Smart Points:
• Odisha Govt – issued official directive removing HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank & Axis Bank from the list of
empanelled banks
• This action on banks is due to ‘persisting poor performance’ in some flagship government schemes
• Odisha: Capital – Bhubaneswar | CM – Mohan Charan Majhi | Governor – Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati

145. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has enhanced the auto-settlement limit for advance
claims from Rs 1 lakh at present to Rs 5 lakh. The EPFO had first introduced auto-settlement of advance claims
during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide quick financial assistance to members. Since then, the facility has been
extended to cover advanced claims for illness, education, marriage, and housing purposes. In 2024-25, the EPFO
processed a record 2.34 crore advance claims through auto-settlement, a 161% increase compared to 89.52 lakh
claims in 2023-24. Notably, 59% of all advance claims in 2024-25 were settled through the auto mode as
compared to 31% in 2023-24. Further, in just the first 2.5 months of FY 2025-26, the EPFO has already
autosettled 76.52 lakh claims, constituting 70% of all advance claims settled so far.
Smart Points:
• EPFO – enhanced the auto-settlement limit for advance claims to Rs 5 lakh (from Rs 1 lakh at present)
• In 2024-25, the EPFO processed a record 2.34 crore advance claims through auto-settlement (161% rise
from FY24) - 59% of all advance claims in 2024-25 were settled through the auto mode
• HQs of EPFO – New Delhi | CEO – Neelam Shami Rao | Established in – 1952
146. RazorpayX, the business banking platform of Razorpay, has announced the launch of “RazorpayX Corporate
Cards”, in partnership with Mastercard, RBL Bank, and YES Bank. The card is aimed at start-ups, offering credit
limits of up to ₹2 crore without the need for collateral, low foreign exchange mark-up fee of 2.5% and no
personal liability, as that rests with the card. Founded in 2014, Razorpay has raised $739 million in funding to
date.
Smart Points:
• RazorpayX + Mastercard + RBL Bank + YES Bank = launched “RazorpayX Corporate Cards”
• Aim: To offer credit limits of up to ₹2 Cr without need for collateral, low foreign exchange mark-up fee of
2.5% & no personal liability
• Razorpay – raised $739 million in funding to date
• HQs of Razorpay – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CEO – Harshil Mathur | Co-founders – Harshil Mathur &
Shashank Kumar

147. To combat the surge in digital payment frauds, major Indian banks are collaborating with the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) to develop a “Digital Payment Intelligence Platform (DPIP)”. DPIP aims to enable real-time
intelligence sharing and data analysis for fraud prevention. The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) has been
tasked with building a prototype of DPIP in consultation with 5-10 banks. The platform comes in response to a
sharp spike in fraud cases. As per the RBI’s latest annual report, bank frauds jumped nearly threefold to Rs
36,014 crore in FY25, compared to Rs 12,230 crore a year ago. Public sector banks reported Rs 25,667 crore
worth of frauds, up from Rs 9,254 crore in FY24. While card and internet payment fraud dominated in the private
sector, public sector banks faced large-scale fraud in their loan portfolios. Earlier, Airtel proposed a collaboration
to create a repository of known fraudulent domains to enable proactive blocking of rogue sites. Airtel also
highlighted risks posed by OTT messaging platforms, calling them the weakest link in fraud prevention due to the
lack of regulatory oversight. Airtel has also sought to join forces with Jio and Vodafone Idea to initiate a joint
industry-level defence against telecom-based scams. Smart Points:
• Major Indian banks + RBI = collaborating to develop a “Digital Payment Intelligence Platform (DPIP)”
• Aim: To enable real-time intelligence sharing & data analysis for fraud prevention
• RBIH – to build a prototype of DPIP in consultation with 5-10 banks
• As per RBI’s latest annual report, bank frauds – jumped to Rs 36,014 Cr in FY25 (from Rs 12,230 Cr in FY24)
• Public sector banks – reported Rs 25,667 Cr worth of frauds (from Rs 9,254 Cr in FY24)
• Airtel – proposed a collaboration to create a repository of known fraudulent domains to enable proactive
blocking of rogue sites
• Airtel + Jio + Vodafone Idea = to initiate a joint industry-level defence against telecom-based scams
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

148. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the market hours for call money and repo transactions to
boost the efficiency of financial markets. The new market timings for call money will be from 9 AM to 7 PM from
July 1, 2025, instead of 9 AM to 5 PM. The trading hours of market repo and tri-party repo (TREP) will be 9 AM to
4 PM from August 1, 2025. At present, market repo transactions for government securities closed at 2.30 PM,
while the tri-party repo for government dated stock closed at 3 PM, while corporate bond repos are being done
until 5 PM. The working group, set up in February 2025 by the RBI, recommended preponing the timing of pre-
announced LAF (Liquidity Adjustment Facility) auction to 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM from 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
currently. The last comprehensive review of market timings, for financial markets regulated by the RBI - the
government securities market, the money markets, the foreign exchange market and the markets for derivatives
on interest rate, foreign exchange and credit - was undertaken in 2019.
Smart Points:
• RBI extended market hours for call money & repo transactions to boost efficiency of financial markets
• New market timings for call money – from 9 AM to 7 PM from Jul 1, 2025
• Trading hours of market repo & tri-party repo (TREP) – 9 AM to 4 PM from Aug 1, 2025
• Working group, set up in Feb 2025 by RBI, recommended preponing timing of pre-announced LAF auction to
– 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

149. According to a report released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India has emerged as the top destination
in the ‘Global South’ for greenfield investments in the digital economy. India ranked 16th globally in FDI (foreign
direct investment) inflows and received a total of $114 billion in greenfield investment in digital economy sectors
between 2020 and 2024. This is the highest among all countries in the Global South. The report also highlighted
that in April 2025, gross inward FDI stood at $8.8 billion, compared to $5.9 billion in March 2025 and $7.2 billion
in April 2024. The manufacturing and business services sectors in India were the key contributors, accounting
for nearly half of the FDI inflows in April 2025. The report also mentioned a rise in net outward FDI, with Indian
companies increasing their investments abroad. The top sectors for outward FDI included electricity, gas and
water supply, along with financial, insurance, and business services. Key countries where Indian businesses
invested were Singapore, Mauritius, and Germany. As a result of these movements, India recorded net FDI inflows
of $3.9 billion in April 2025 alone. During the period from May to June 20, 2025, Foreign Portfolio Investors
(FPIs) were net buyers, investing Rs 24,966 crore. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs), including mutual funds
and insurance companies, were also net bu yers in the Indian equity market, with investments totalling Rs
1,24,429 crore during the same period. The Global South refers to countries often characterized as developing,
less developed, or underdeveloped, primarily located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Smart Points:
• As per a report by RBI, India – top destination in ‘Global South’ for greenfield investments in digital economy
• India – ranked 16th globally in FDI inflows & received $114 billion in greenfield investment in digital economy
sectors between 2020 & 2024
• In Apr 2025, gross inward FDI – $8.8 billion (from $5.9 billion in Mar 2025 & $7.2 billion in Apr 2024)
• Manufacturing & business services sectors in India – accounted for nearly half of FDI inflows in Apr 2025
• Key countries where Indian businesses invested – Singapore, Mauritius & Germany
• India recorded net FDI inflows – $3.9 billion in Apr 2025 alone
• From May to June 20, 2025, FPIs – net buyers, investing Rs 24,966 Cr
- Total investments of Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) – Rs 1,24,429 Cr
• HQs of RBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Governor – Sanjay Malhotra (26th) | Established on – 1st April, 1935
 Total Deputy Governors (4) – Swaminathan Janakiraman | T. Rabi Sankar | M. Rajeshwar Rao | Poonam
Gupta

150. The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, has inaugurated “Sagarmala
Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL)”, India’s 1st Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the maritime
sector. Formerly known as ‘Sagarmala Development Company Limited’, SMFCL is now a ‘Mini Ratna, Category-I’,
Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE). It has been formally registered as an NBFC with the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) as of June 19, 2025. SMFCL will offer tailored financial products, including short, medium, and long-
term funding, to a diverse range of stakeholders such as port authorities, shipping companies, MSMEs, startups,
and maritime educational institutions. SMFCL will also support strategic sectors like shipbuilding, renewable
energy, cruise tourism, and maritime education. A CPSE has to meet these conditions to be granted a ‘Miniratna
Category-I’ status - (i) CPSE has made profit consecutively for 3 years, (ii) pre-tax profit is Rs 30 crore or more in
at least 1 of 3 years and (iii) have positive net worth are eligible.
Smart Points:
• Sarbananda Sonowal (Minister of PSW) – inaugurated “Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL)”, India’s
1st NBFC in maritime sector
• SMFCL – formerly known as ‘Sagarmala Development Company Limited’ | It is now a ‘Mini Ratna, Category-I’,
CPSE - It has been formally registered as an NBFC with RBI as of Jun 19, 2025
• A CPSE has to meet these conditions to be granted a ‘Miniratna Category-I’ status:
- CPSE has made profit consecutively for – 3 years | Have positive net worth
- Pre-tax profit in at least 1 of 3 years – Rs 30 Cr or more
• Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways: Sarbananda Sonowal | Constituency – Dibrugarh, Assam
MoS in Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways: Shantanu Thakur

151. Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, chaired a high-level meeting to
review the performance of 12 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) across key areas, including financial parameters, credit
offtake, financial inclusion, customer service, grievance redressal, digital banking, and cyber security. During the
meeting, the performance of the 12 PSBs during the 2024-25 fiscal year was reviewed. The total Business of PSBs
rose from Rs 203 lakh crore in FY 2022-23 to Rs 251 lakh crore in FY 2024-25. During the same period (FY 2022-
23 to FY 2024-25), the net Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of the PSBs declined sharply from 1.24% to 0.52%, the
net profit increased from Rs 1.04 lakh crore to Rs 1.78 lakh crore, and dividend payouts grew from Rs 20,964
crore to Rs 34,990 crore. The PSBs are also adequately capitalised, with their CRAR (Capital to Risk Weighted
Asset Ratio) standing at 16.15% as of March 2025. Further, in line with the Union Budget 2025-26
announcement to develop indigenously designed small modular nuclear reactors (SMR), banks were advised to
develop credit models to support this critical sector. In the Union Budget 2025-26, PSBs were also encouraged to
focus on Agri credit in the 100 low crop productivity districts to be identified under the ‘PM Dhan Dhanya Yojana’.
The Union Minister further directed the PSBs to participate actively in the upcoming 3-month financial inclusion
saturation campaign, beginning July 1, 2025, covering 2.7 lakh Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies.
Smart Points:
• Nirmala Sitharaman – chaired a high-level meeting to review performance of 12 Public Sector Banks (PSBs)
• Parameters changed in FY25 (from FY23):
- Total Business of PSBs – rose to Rs 251 lakh Cr (from Rs 203 lakh Cr)
- Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of PSBs – declined to 0.52% (from 1.24%)
- Net profit – increased to Rs 1.78 lakh Cr (from Rs 1.04 lakh Cr)
 - Dividend payouts – grew to Rs 34,990 Cr (from Rs 20,964 Cr)
• CRAR (Capital to Risk Weighted Asset Ratio) of PSBs (as of March 2025) – 16.15%
• Minister of Finance: Nirmala Sitharaman | Constituency – Karnataka
MoS in Ministry of Finance: Pankaj Chaudhary

Defence Affairs
152. ARDE (DRDO) + NIBE Ltd = a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) for the Pinaka Multi
Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) & the Battery Command Post (BCP)
• Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE)
• Pinaka MBRL – consists of 2 pods (each contains 6 rockets) & is capable of firing 12 rockets in salvo mode
within 44 sec
- It is designed & developed by – ARDE (in partnership with HEMRL, RCI, DRDL & P&EE)
High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and
Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Proof & Experimental Establishment (P&EE)
• Production agencies for ammunition – MIL & EEL
• Production agencies for Pinaka Launcher and BCP – L&T & Tata Power
• HQs of DRDO – New Delhi | Chairman – Samir V. Kamat | Established in – 1958
• HQs of NIBE Ltd – Khed, Maharashtra | CEO – Balakrishnan Govind Swamy

153. 17th edition of India-Mongolia joint military exercise, “Nomadic Elephant” – commenced on May 31, 2025
- At Special Forces training centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | To run until – June 13, 2025 • Last
edition – held at Umroi, Meghalaya, in July 2024
• Representation:
- Indian contingent – 45 personnel, mainly troops from a battalion of Arunachal Scouts
- Mongolian armed forces contingent – 45 personnel, a 150 Special Forces unit
• Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar – Mongolian Togrog | President – Ukhnaa Khurelsukh

154. Dassault Aviation + TASL = signed 4 Production Transfer Agreements to manufacture Rafale fighter aircraft
fuselages domestically in Hyderabad
• This is 1st time that Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France | 1st fuselage sections roll out – by FY28
• HQs of Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) – Hyderabad | MD & CEO – Sukaran Singh | Chairman –
Banmali Agrawala
155. 22nd “Khaan Quest”, a multinational military exercise – to be conducted from June 14-28, 2025 in
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Indian Army contingent – comprises 40 personnel represented by troops from a Battalion of Kumaon
Regiment - It also includes one woman officer & two women soldiers
• 21st edition of Khaan Quest – held in Mongolia from July 27 to Aug 9, 2024
• It began as a bilateral initiative between US & Mongolia in 2003 & evolved into a multinational exercise from
2006
• Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar – Mongolian Togrog | President – Ukhnaa Khurelsukh | PM – Luvsannamsrain
Oyun-Erdene
• HQs of Indian Army – New Delhi | Chief – General Upendra Dwivedi | Vice Chief – Lt. Gen. NS Raja
Subramani

156. The Indian Navy to commission up to 10 warships between June and December 2025 to expand its fleet.
The first of these - the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow-Water Craft (ASW-SWC) “Arnala”, named after the
historic Arnala Fort in Vasai, Maharashtra, is scheduled for commissioning on 18 June 2025 at the Naval
Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Most of the ships to be commissioned have been made indigenously. At 77.6 m in
length and over 1,490 gross tonnes, Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship to be propelled by a diesel-engine
waterjet combination. Arnala’s commissioning will mark the formal induction of the first of sixteen ASW-SWC
ships into the Indian Navy. These vessels have been designed and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders &
Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a Public-Private Partnership with L&T Shipbuilders. INS Tamal, the second
Talwar-class stealth frigate under a 2016 Indo-Russian agreement, is set to be commissioned by the end of this
month. Tamal is one of four frigates acquired in a $2.5 billion deal with Russia: two were constructed in Russia,
and two at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with Russian technology transfer. The Indian Navy aims to become a 175-
ship by 2035.
Smart Points:
• Indian Navy – to commission up to 10 warships between June & December 2025
• 1st of these – Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow-Water Craft “Arnala” | Length – 77.6m | Weight – 1,490 gross
tonnes - Scheduled for commissioning on Jun 18, 2025 at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam
- It is the largest Indian naval warship to be propelled by a diesel-engine waterjet combination
• These vessels have been designed & constructed by – GRSE, Kolkata, under a PPP with L&T Shipbuilders
• 2nd of these – INS Tamal will be commissioned by the end of this month
- It is one of four frigates acquired in a $2.5 billion deal with Russia
- 2 – constructed in Russia | 2 – constructed at GSL with Russian technology transfer
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi | Vice Chief – Vice Admiral Krishna
Swaminathan
157. 8th edition of joint exercise, “Shakti 2025”, between India & France – to be held from Jun 18-Jul 1, 2025
- At – La Cavalerie, France
- Aim: To enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations
• Indian contingent comprises 90 personnel represented by – a Battalion of RAJPUT Regiment
• French contingent comprises 90 personnel represented by – 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE)
• Exercise Shakti – an annual joint military drill conducted by armies of India & France
• 7th edition – held at Joint Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya
• France – Paris – Euro | President – Emmanuel Macron | PM – Francois Bayrou

158. Indian Air Force IAF + USAF United States Air Force conducted Exercise “Tiger Claw” across North India,
concluded at Garud Regimental Training Centre (GRTC)
- GRTC – situated at Air Force Station, Chandinagar in UP
• Armed Forces Special Operations Division – approved in 2019, comprises Special Forces from Army, Navy &
Air Force - It is expected to be based in Agra (already houses Parachute Brigade)
• HQs of IAF – New Delhi | Chief – Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh | Vice Chief – Air Marshal SP Dharkar
• US – Washington, D.C. – US Dollar | 47th President – Donald Trump | 50th VP – James David Vance

159. North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO started its annual military exercise “BALTOPS 25” (Baltic
Operations 2025) in Latvia
• ‘BALTOPS 25’ exercise – involves 16 NATO member states, 40+ ships, 25 aircraft & ~9,000 participants
• Participating nations include – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkiye, UK & US
• ‘BALTOPS’ – led by US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US Sixth Fleet in Baltic Sea
- Command-and-controlled by – Naval Striking & Support Forces NATO
• HQs of NATO – Brussels, Belgium | SG – Mark Rutte | Members – 32 | Founded in – 1949

160. Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence Ltd + Diehl Defence (Germany) = cooperated for production of next-
generation “Vulcano 155 mm” terminal-guided munitions (TGMs) for Indian Armed Forces
- Equipped with built-in ECCM (Electronic Counter-Countermeasures) capabilities
• Reliance – to set up a fully owned greenfield manufacturing facility in Watad Industrial Area, located within
DADC, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra
• Annual capacity of manufacturing facility – up to 2 lakh artillery shells, 10,000 tonnes of explosives & 2,000
tonnes of propellant

161. GRSE Ltd + GSI = contract for construction of two coastal research vessels for GSI Geological Survey of India
• Length – 64 metres | Width – 12 metres
• HQs of GRSE Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers – Kolkata, West Bengal
| Chairman & MD – P. R. Hari | Founded in – 1884

162. Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has successfully completed the trial of its Hybrid vertical
takeoff and landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) “Rudrastra” at the Pokharan Firing Range, Rajasthan.
The UAV demonstrated robust operational capability, covering a mission radius of over 50 km with a stable real-
time video link and successfully returning to the original launch point. The total range, including loitering at the
target area, exceeded 170 km, with an estimated endurance of approximately 1.5 hours. A significant highlight of
the trial was the successful deployment of a precision-guided antipersonnel warhead. In a related development,
SDAL earlier tested a new low-cost counter-drone solution in hard-kill mode, named “Bhargavastra”. Designed to
neutralise hostile drone swarms, the system employs micro-rockets to deliver rapid and effective responses.
Three rounds of tests were carried out, including two single-rocket firings and one salvo-mode trial where two
rockets were fired within a two-second interval. Smart Points:
• Solar Defence & Aerospace – completed trial of its Hybrid VTOL UAV “Rudrastra” at Pokharan Firing Range,
Rajasthan - Mission radius – over 50 km | Total range exceeded – 170 km
• SDAL earlier tested a new low-cost counter-drone solution in hard-kill mode, named “Bhargavastra” -
Designed to neutralise hostile drone swarms
• HQs of SDAL – Nagpur, Maharashtra | CEO – Manish Satyanarayan Nuwal

163. The Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Tabar, a submarine, and P-8I maritime patrol aircraft participated in a
‘Passage Exercise (PASSEX)’ with the UK’s Carrier Strike Group in the North Arabian Sea. The UK formation
comprised the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and the frigate HMS Richmond. The two-day exercise
included various naval activities such as coordinated anti-submarine operations, tactical manoeuvres, unified
control of helicopters, and professional exchanges between naval officers. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy and the
UK’s Carrier Strike Group conducted a joint naval drill, commonly known as PASSEX, in the western Arabian Sea.
This marked the UK Strike Group’s 1st major engagement after entering the Indo-Pacific region.
Smart Points:
• ‘Passage Exercise (PASSEX)’ – held in North Arabian Sea
• Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Tabar, a submarine & P-8I maritime patrol aircraft – participated in this
exercise
- With UK’s Carrier Strike Group | UK formation comprised – HMS Prince of Wales & frigate HMS Richmond
• UK – London – Pound Sterling | PM – Keir Starmer | New King – King Charles lll

164. “Achal”, the 5th Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) in a series of 8 – ceremoniously launched on June 16
• Constructed by – Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) | For – Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
• FPV features over 60% indigenous content | Powered by – CPP-based propulsion system | Cost – Rs 473 Cr

165. INS Arnala, the 1st of India’s 16 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) class ships, was
commissioned into the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The
ship has been designed and constructed by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under a
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with M/s L&T Shipbuilders. The warship has been named after the historic
Arnala Fort off Vasai in Maharashtra, is 77.6 m long, with a gross tonnage of over 1,490 tonnes, making it the
largest Indian Naval warship to be propelled by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination. INS Arnala and the 15
other ASW-SWC class of ships to be inducted will replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes. INS Arnala is the 1st
warship with a single rocket launcher on the centreline. The ship will be able to detect and target miniature or
midget submarines and smaller UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles) in coastal waters with depths of less
than 30m with advanced mine-laying capabilities. These ships will be equipped with advanced underwater
sensors such as the Hull-Mounted Sonar Abhay, Underwater Acoustic Communication System (UWACS) and Low-
Frequency Variable Depth Sonar (LFVDS). They feature a state-of-the-art weapon suite, including lightweight
torpedoes, ASW rockets, and AntiTorpedo decoys, integration of sensors and weapons into the Combat
Management System (CMS) and an Integrated ASW Complex (IAC).
Smart Points:
• INS Arnala – commissioned into Eastern Naval Command of Indian Navy at Naval Dockyard in
Visakhapatnam
- It is 1st of India’s 16 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC)
class ships - Length – 77.6 m | Gross weight – 1,490 tonnes
• Designed & constructed by = GRSE Kolkata + L&T Shipbuilders (PPP)
• INS Arnala & 15 other ASW-SWC class of ships to be inducted – to replace ageing Abhay-class corvettes
• INS Arnala – 1st warship with a single rocket launcher on centreline
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi | Vice Chief – Vice Admiral Krishna
Swaminathan

166. The 8th edition of the biennial Indo-French “Exercise Shakti” commenced at Camp Larzac, La Cavalerie in
France. It is scheduled from 18th June to 1st July 2025. The Indian Army contingent, comprising 90 personnel, is
primarily represented by a battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, along with personnel from other arms and
services. The French contingent, also comprising 90 personnel, is represented by the 13th Foreign Legion Half-
Brigade (13 DBLE). This edition focuses on joint operations in a sub-conventional environment under Chapter
VII of the United Nations Charter, with training conducted in semi-urban terrain. UN Chapter VII authorizes
military/non-military actions (sanctions, blockades, troop deployment) for international peace enforcement. The
opening ceremony was graced by key dignitaries, including India’s military attache in France, Brig Veeresh
Thapar, and the Indian contingent commander, Col HV Kalia. Other joint exercises between France and India are
‘Exercise Varuna (Navy)’, ‘Exercise Garuda (Air)’, and ‘Exercise Desert Knight (India, France, and UAE)’.
Smart Points:
• 8th edition of biennial Indo-French “Exercise Shakti” – commenced at Camp Larzac, La Cavalerie in France -
Scheduled from – Jun 18-Jul 1, 2025
• Indian Army contingent – comprises 90 personnel, represented by a battalion of J&K Rifles
• French contingent – comprises 90 personnel, represented by 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13 DBLE)
• Other joint exercises between France & India – ‘Exercise Varuna (Navy)’, ‘Exercise Garuda (Air)’ & ‘Exercise
Desert Knight (India, France & UAE)’
• France – Paris – Euro | President – Emmanuel Macron | PM – Francois Bayrou

167. Indian Army – placed an order for the procurement of 450 ‘NAGASTRA-1R’ loitering munitions from Solar
Defence and Aerospace Ltd.
• Total range – 170 km | Endurance of – approx 1.5 hours
168. Indian Navy – to commission its latest stealth multi-role frigate INS Tamal on July 1, 2025, at Kaliningrad,
Russia
- This will be the last warship of Indian Navy to have been built outside India & 8th in the series of Krivak
class frigates - Built at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia
• INS Tamal will join the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet
• HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi | Vice Chief – Vice Admiral Krishna
Swaminathan
169. Reliance Defence – secured an export order from Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Germany) | Worth –
₹600 Cr
• Reliance Defence – to establish an integrated facility for manufacturing of explosives, ammunition & small
arms - Under – Dhirubhai Ambani Defence City (DADC) initiative
• DADC is being developed in – Watad industrial area of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra
- It will become largest greenfield project in defence sector ever undertaken by any private company in India
• HQs of Reliance Defence – Mumbai, Maharashtra | CEO – Rajesh Dhingra

170. ICG inducted Yard 1271 “Adamya”, 1st Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) of an 8-vessel series built by Goa Shipyard Ltd
(GSL)
- Length – 52 meters | Breadth – 8 meters | Displacement – 320 tons | Top speed – 27 knots
• ‘Adamya’ – 1st ship in its class within ICG fleet to feature Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPPs)
• 5th Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ‘Achal’, in this series – launched on Jun 16, 2025
• 8 FPVs under 08 FPV project for ICG are – Adamya, Akshar, Amulya, Akshay, Achal & three unnamed vessels
• HQs of Indian Coast Guard ICG – New Delhi | DG – S Paramesh | Founded in – 1977

Sports & Games

171. Virat Kohli – 1st cricketer to score 9,000 T20 runs for a single franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Accomplished during match against – Lucknow Super Giants (in Lucknow)
• His tally included – 8 centuries & 64 half-centuries, with a top score of 113 not out
• Virat Kohi – now first batter to cross 600 five times in IPL
172. 26th Asian Athletics Championship 2025: Organised by – Asian Athletics | Hosted by – South Korea
• India – finished 2nd with 24 medals (8 gold, 10 silver & 6 bronze) | Top – China
- Indian athletes participated in – 30 medal events (15 for men, 14 for women & 1 mixed team)
• Gold medal winners:
- Gulveer Singh – two gold | Pooja Singh – Women’s high jump | Nandini Agasara – Heptathlon
- Avinash Sable – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase | Jyothi Yarraji – Women’s 100m hurdles
- Team India (Santosh Kumar, Rupal, Vishal & Subha Venkatesan) – Mixed 4x400m relay
- Team India (Jisna Mathew, Rupal Chaudhary, Kunja Rajitha & Subha Venkatesan) – Women’s 4x400m
relay
• Avinash Sable – 1st Indian man in 36 years to win a steeplechase gold at Asian Athletics Championships
• Animesh Kujur (200m) & Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase) – set new national records in their events
• 1st edition of Asian Athletics Championship – held in 1973 in Marikina, Philippines
173. UEFA Champions League 2025 – held in Munich, Germany
• Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) – won for 1st time | Defeated – Inter Milan
- PSG – 1st team to score 5 goals in final since Benfica in 1962
• PSG – 2nd French winner of European football’s biggest prize (after Marseille in 1993, beating AC Milan)
• It is also the 2nd Champions League for PSG coach Luis Enrique (won with Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in 2015)
• Teams with most wins at Champions League – Spanish (20) | Followed by – English clubs (14) & Italians
(12)

174. IPL final held at – held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• RCB (captained by - Rajat Patidar) – won their 1st IPL title | Defeated – Punjab Kings (captained by - Shreyas
Iyer) - It was also Virat Kohli’s first IPL title | It was 4th IPL final for RCB
• Sai Sudarshan (Gujarat Titans) – won ‘Orange Cap’ (given to highest run scorer in IPL)
• Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans) – won ‘Purple Cap’ (given to highest wicket taker)
• Surya Kumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians) – ‘Most Valuable Player of IPL’
• Sai Sudarshan (Gujarat Titans) – ‘Emerging Player of IPL’ | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – won ‘Fair Play
Award’ • IPL – organised by BCCI
• BCCI has set up an IPL Governing Council, which runs IPL, currently headed by Arun Dhumal
• 1st edition – held in 2008 | It currently has 10 teams
• Most successful teams in IPL – Chennai Super Kings & Mumbai Indians (5 titles each)

175. “Thailand Open 2025” – India won 8 medals, including 2 golds, 1 silver & 5 bronze
• Gold medals:
- Deepak – in men’s 75kg | Defeated – Abdurakhimov Javokhir (Uzbekistan)
- Naman Tanwar – in men’s 90kg | Defeated – Han Xuezhen (China)
• Silver: Kiran – in women’s 80+kg | Lost to – Yeldana Talipova (Kazakhstan)
• Bronze (all women) – Tamanna (51kg), Priya (57kg), Sanju (60kg), Saneh (70kg) & Lalfakmawii Ralte (80kg)

176. “Ulaanbaatar Open 2025 Wrestling Ranking Series”

• India – ended with a total of 21 medals (6 gold, 7 silver & 8 bronze)
• Gold: Anil Mor – Greco-Roman 55kg | Reetika Hooda – women’s 76kg | Antim Panghal – women’s 53kg
- Neha Sangwan – women’s 57kg | Muskan – women’s 59kg | Harshita – women’s 72kg
• Silver: Shiksha – Women’s 65kg | Puspa – Women’s 55kg | Udit Gulia – Men’s 61kg | Deepak Punia – Men’s
92kg
- Suraj – Greco-Roman 60kg | Prince – Greco-Roman 82kg | Nitesh – Greco-Roman 97kg
• Ulaanbaatar Open – third stop in UWW Ranking Series
- 1st – held in Zagreb, Croatia (Feb 5-9) | 2nd – held in Tirana, Albania (Feb 26-Mar 2)
- 4th & final – to be held in Budapest, Hungary (Jul 17 to 20, 2025)
177. “BWF Singapore Open 2025”, a part of BWF World Tour Super 750 series
• Women’s singles – Chen Yufei | Defeated – Wang Zhiyi
- Chen Yufei – 3rd consecutive title in 2025 (after ‘YONEX Swiss Open 2025’ & ‘TOYOTA Thailand Open
2025’)
• Men’s singles – Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) | Defeated – Lu Guangzu (China)
- Kunlavut Vitidsarn – became 1st-ever badminton player from Thailand to achieve World No.1 ranking
• Men’s doubles – Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia) | Defeated – Kim Won Ho & Seo Seung Jae (South
Korea)
• Women’s double – Kim Hye-Jeong & Kong Hee Kong Hee Yong (South Korea)
- Defeated – Rin IWANAGA & Rie NAKANISHI (Japan)
• Mixed doubles – Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Supissara Paewsampran (Thailand)
- Defeated – Tang Chun Man & Tse Ying-Suet (Hong Kong)
• Winners in both men’s & women’s singles – received $70,000 each

178. Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen clinched his 7th Norway Chess title after American Grandmaster
Fabiano Caruana defeated Indian player D Gukesh to grab 3 full points in the final round. Defending champion
Carlsen ended the tournament with 16 points after drawing with the other Indian in the tournament, Arjun
Erigaisi. Caruana finished 2nd with 15.5 points, while Gukesh ended 3rd with 14.5 points. Erigaisi was 5th with 12.5
points. In the women’s section, two-time world blitz champion, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, won the title with 16.5
points despite an Armageddon tie-break loss to India’s R. Vaishali in the final round. The Norway Chess format
gives three points for a classical win. In the event of a draw, the players share one point each, which is followed by
the Armageddon tie-break, where the winner earns another half point. Chinese player Lei Tingjie secured the 2nd
spot with 16 points, while Humpy Koneru secured 3rd place with 15 points.
Smart Points:
• Magnus Carlsen (Norway) – clinched his 7th Norway Chess title with 16 points
- 2nd – Fabiano Caruana of the US (15.5 points) | 3rd – D Gukesh (India - 14.5 points)
• In women’s section, Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) – won with 16.5 points | Tie-break loss to – R. Vaishali
(India)
- 2nd – Lei Tingjie (China - 16 points) | 3rd – Humpy Koneru (India - 15 points)

179. India-England Test series will now be known as “Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy”

• Jointly announced by = England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) + Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
• Trophy to be unveiled by – Tendulkar & Anderson on 1st day of WTC final between Australia & South Africa -
On June 11, 2025, at Lord’s
• India & England – to begin new WTC cycle with a five-Test series starting Jun 20, 2025 at Headingley, Leeds
• Anderson, most successful fast bowler in Test cricket with 188 appearances – retired in July 2024
- He took 704 Test wickets & became 1st fast bowler in history to reach that milestone
• Tendulkar – retired in 2013 after becoming 1st- & so far only- player to feature in 200 Test matches
- He scored 15,921 runs in format, including 51 centuries
• Previous names of India-England series, played for different trophies:
- England – ‘Pataudi Trophy’ | India – ‘Anthony de Mello Trophy’

180. Krunal Pandya – became 1st player in world to win two ‘Player of the Match (POTM)’ awards in IPL final on
June 3, 2025 - He won POTM award in IPL 2025 & IPL 2017
• IPL final was played against – Punjab Kings | At – Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad
• Krunal & Hardik – became 1st pair of siblings to win POTM award in an IPL final
- Hardik (Gujarat Titans) won POTM in 2022 | Against – Rajasthan Royals
• Krunal won IPL title 4 times (with MI in 2017, 2019 & 2020) | Hardik won IPL title 5 times

181. Winners of French Open 2025 (aka ‘Roland Garros)’: (longest-ever final in French Open history - 5 hrs & 29
mins)
- Men’s singles title – Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) | defeated – Jannik Sinner (Italy)
- Women’s singles title – Coco Gauff (US) | defeated – Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
- Men’s doubles title – Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) & Marcel Granollers (Spain)
- Women’s doubles title Jasmine Paolini & Sara Errani (Italian duo)
- Mixed doubles title – Andrea Vavassori & Sara Errani (Italian duo)
• This final is the 2nd-longest Grand Slam final in history, coming only behind ‘Australian Open 2012’
• French Open – played on clay courts since 1978 | Every year, it is held after – Australian Open

182. 43rd edition of Indonesia Open, officially titled ‘Kapal Api Indonesia Open 2025’ – held in Jakarta
Total prize pool – $14,50,000
• An Se-young (South Korea) – clinch her 2nd Indonesia Open title in women’s singles | Defeated – Wang Zhiyi
(China)
- She became 1st woman to win 3 Super 1000 tournaments in a calendar year at “Indonesia Open 2025”
• Men’s singles – Anders Antonsen (Denmark) | Defeated – Chou Tien-chen (Taiwan)

183. “Taiwan Athletics Open 2025” – held in Chinese Taipei | India – won 16 medals (12 gold, 3 silver & 1
bronze)
• Gold medal winners include:
- Annu Rani – in women’s javelin throw with 56.82m | She holds national record of – 63.82m
- Rohit Yadav – in men’s javelin throw with 74.42m | Vithya Ramraj – in women’s category of 400 m
hurdles
- Indian men’s 4×400 m relay team (Santosh T, Vishal TK, Dharamveer Chaudhary & Manu TS) – with a
championship record of 3:05.58 seconds
 - Indian women’s 4×400 m relay team (Shudheeksha Vadluri, Sneha Sathyanarayana Shanuvalli, Abhinaya
Rajarajan & Nithya Gandhe) – clocked 44.06s
- Jyothi Yarraji – clocked 12.99s in women’s 100m hurdle race | Krishan Kumar – in men’s 800 final

184. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – won 2nd “UEFA Nations League” title at 4th league in Allianz Arena in Munich,
Germany - Defeated – Spain
• Portugal – won 1st edition of league for 1st time in 2018-19 | Defeated – Netherlands
• Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo – set a new world record by becoming oldest player in history of men’s
football to score a goal in an international football match (40 years 123 days)
- He broke record for Pierre Kalala Mukendi of Congo (37) | Against – Ghana
• Ronaldo scored most goals in international football in men’s game, with 138 goals in 221 matches - He
also won – Ballon d'Or award (5 times)
• 2nd edition of league – won by France in 2020-21 (Defeated - Spain)
• 3rd edition of league – won by Spain in 2022-23 (Defeated - Croatia)

185. Austrian Race Walking Championships – held in Innsbruck, Austria

• Priyanka Goswami (India) – won a gold medal in women’s 10km race walk by clocking 47 minutes & 54
seconds
- She holds national record for a 20km race walk, clocking 1:28:45
- Her personal best in 10km event – 45 minutes 47 seconds in 2022
• In May 2025, she finished 2nd in ‘Athletics Victoria Walking Championships’ in Melbourne in 2:26:54
• In men’s 35km race walk event – Sandeep Kumar finished 2nd, clocking 2:38:45 | 3rd – Ram Baboo (2:41:47)

186. 3rd International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship final – held at Lord’s Cricket Ground in
London, England
• South African men’s cricket team (aka Proteas) – won | Defeating – Australia
- 1st major cricket title for South Africa, since 1998 ICC Knockout Championship (ICC Champions Trophy),
held in Kenya
• It was 1st time in last 15 years that Australia lost in an ICC Tournament
- England defeated Australia in 2010 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in West Indies
• ‘Player of the Match’ award – Aiden Markram (South Africa)
• Captains: South Africa – Temba Bavuma | Australia – Pat Cummins
• ‘World Test Championship’ – instituted by ICC in 2019
• 1st World Test Championship (2019-2021 Cycle) – won by New Zealand in June 2021 at Southampton,
England - Defeated – India
• 2nd World Test Championship (2021-2023) – won by Australia in June 2023 at Oval cricket ground in London,
England - Defeated – India
• 4th Championship (2025-27) – to commence with Sri Lanka & Bangladesh match on Jun 17, 2025 in Galle, Sri
Lanka
- It will comprise a total of 71 matches & spanning next 2 years
- India – to play 18 Test matches in 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle
• HQs of ICC – Dubai, UAE | Chairman – Jay Shah | CEO – Geoff Allardice | Members – 108 countries

187. “ISSF World Cup 2025 Munich”

–
India – 3rd position with 4 medals (2 gold & 2 bronze)
1st– China (7 medals- 4 gold, 1 silver & 2 bronze) |2nd Norway (4 medals- 2 gold, 1 silver & 1 bronze )
–
• Gold winners:
- Arjun Babuta & Arya Borse – in 10m air rifle mixed team event | Defeated – Wang Zifei & Sheng Lihao
(China) - Suruchi Singh – Women’s 10m air pistol
Bronze winners:
- Sift – women’s 50m rifle 3 positions | Elavenil – women’s 10m air rifle event
• Next leg of ISSF World Cup 2025 for rifle & pistol shooters – to be held in Ningbo, China, in Sep 2025
• 1st ISSF World Cup of 2025 leg – held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- India – finished 2nd with 8 medals (4 gold, 2 silver & 2 bronze) | 1st – China
• 2nd ISSF World Cup of 2025 leg – held in Lima, Peru
- India – finished 3rd with 7 medals (2 gold, 4 silver & 1 bronze) | Top 2 – China & US

188. David Beckham (football) – conferred “Knighthood” by King Charles III, earning title ‘Sir David Beckham’
• Representing England at international stage, Beckham earned 115 caps between 1996 & 2009
• Since 2005, he served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
• UK – London – Pound Sterling | PM – Keir Starmer | New King – King Charles lll

189. U Mumba TT – clinched their maiden Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) title
- at the “Ultimate Table Tennis 2025” Season 6 final at Ahmedabad’s EKA Arena
• Akash Pal & Bernadette Szocs – named the ‘Indian and Foreign Player’ of the Final (respectively)
• Jeet Chandra – won ‘Shot of the Final’ award | Adriana Diaz – won ‘Shot of the League’ award
• Harmeet Desai & Bernadette Szocs – named ‘Male & Female Most Valuable Players’ of UTT Season 6
(respectively)
• UTT (launched in 2017) – consists of 8 teams

190. “FIDE World Rapid Team Championship 2025” – held in London

• MGD1 – 1st Indian team to win this championship
- Defeated – Hexamind Chess Team (featuring 2 Indian players - Vidit Gujrathi & Divya
Deshmukh) - 3rd – Freedom team (Viswanathan Anand’s team)
• MGD1 (Pune) included – Arjun Erigaisi, N Srinath, Harikrishna Pentala, Pranav V, Leon Luke Mendonca,
Atharvaa Tayade & Hariharan Raghavan
• Overseas players – David Anton Guijarro (Spain) & Stavroula Tsolakidou (Greece)
• HQs of FIDE – Lausanne, Switzerland | President – Arkady Dvorkovich | Founded on – July 20, 1924

191. “Super Welterweight Bout” – held at Madison Square Garden Theatre, New York, US
• Nishant Dev – won his 2nd professional fight | Defeating – Josue Silva (Mexico)

192. Archery Asia Cup 2025 Singapore leg 2:

• India – finished at top with 9 medals (2 gold, 6 silver & 1 bronze)
- 2nd – Indonesia with 5 medals (2 gold) | 3rd – Kazakhstan with 3 medals (2 gold)
- 4th – Japan with 3 medals (1 gold) | 5th – China with 2 medals (1 gold)
• Asia Cup 2025 Bangkok leg 1: Winner – India with 8 medals (5 gold, 2 silver & 1 bronze)
• India’s gold medal winners:
- Kushal Dalal – men’s individual compound | Tejal Salve – women’s individual compound
• India’s silver medal winners:
- Shanmukhi Naga Sai Budde – women’s individual compound
- Kushal Dalal & Shanmukhi Naga Sai Budde – compound mixed team
- Shanmukhi Naga Sai Budde, Tejal Salve & Tanishka Nilkumar Thokal – women’s compound team
- Kushal Dalal, Ganesh Thirumuru & Mihir Nitin Apar – men’s compound team
- Vishnu Choudhary & Vaishnavi Babarao Pawar – recurve mixed team
- Vishnu Choudhary, Paras Hooda & Juyel Sarkar – men’s recurve team
• India’s bronze medal winner: Sachin Chechi – men’s individual compound
• Indian women’s compound team tallied a total of 2101 points in qualifiers to set a new U-21 world record
- Previous record – same trio with a total of 2076 (in 2023)

193. Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra – won “Paris Diamond League 2025” with throw of 88.16m, at
Stade Sebastien Charlety
- 2nd – Julian Weber (Germany - 87.88m) | 3rd – Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil - 86.62m)
- 4th – Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad & Tobago - 81.66m) | 5th – Anderson Peters (Grenada - 80.29m)
• Neeraj Chopra – finished 8th in 2017 in Paris Diamond League with throw of 84.67m
• Paris leg – 8th of 15 meetings that make up ‘Diamond League 2025’ season
• Neeraj Chopra – breached elusive 90m mark with a 90.23m throw & reset Indian national record in Doha
194. The Paralympic Committee of India PCI – unveiled the logo & mascot for the “2025 World Para Athletics
Championships” (12th edition) in New Delhi
• The official mascot, called “Viraaj”, is a young elephant with a blade prosthesis • India is
hosting the event for the first time

195. Udhayanidhi Stalin (Deputy CM of TN) – unveiled logo for men’s “FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2025” (Nov
28-Dec 10) - Scheduled in – Chennai & Madurai
• SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamilnadu) + Hockey India = an MoU was signed during the event
• M K Stalin (TN CM) – sanctioned Rs 65 Cr earlier to conduct 14th edition of tournament & establishing a
synthetic turf in Madurai
• Draw of pools for International Hockey Federation Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 – to be held at
FIH office in Lausanne, Switzerland
- There will be 6 pools of 4 teams | Every pool – to include one seeded team as well as one team from each
pool
• Tournament will be 3rd time India will be hosting | After – events in Lucknow (2016) & Bhubaneswar (2021)
• Tamil Nadu: Capital – Chennai | CM – Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin | Governor – Ravindra Narayan Ravi

196. “Asian Para-Badminton Championship 2025” – held in Thailand

• Team India – won 27 medals (including 4 gold, 10 silver & 13 bronze), its best-ever performance at event
- Previous best performance of India – 13 medals in 2016 edition (held in - China)
• 6 sporting classes of event – Wheel Chair (WH)1, Wheel Chair (WH) 2, Standing Lower (SL) 3, Standing
Lower (SL) 4, Standing Upper (SU) 5 & Standing Upper (SU) 6
• India’s Gold medal winners:
- Nitesh Kumar – Men’s Singles, SL3 | Nitesh Kumar & Tulsi Mati Murugesan – Mixed Doubles, SL3-SU5 -
Nitesh Kumar & Sukant Kadam – Men’s Doubles, SL3-SL4 | Manisha Ramadas – Women’s Singles, SU5
• India’s Silver medal winners:
- Mandeep Kaur – Women Singles, SL3 | Nithya Sre Sivan – Women Singles,-SH6
- Ruthick Raghupati & Hardik Makkar – Men’s Doubles, SU5 | Suryakant Yadav – Men’s Singles, SL4
- Manshi Joshi & Tulsi Mathi Murugesan – Women’s doubles, SL3-SU5 | Palak Kohali – Women’s Singles,
SL4
- Krishna Nagar & Nithya – Mixed Doubles, SH6 | Jagdish Dilli & Naveen Shivakumar – Mixed Doubles,
SL3-SL4
- Nithya Sre & Rachna Patel – Women’s doubles, SH6 | Ruthick Raghupati & Manshi Joshi – Mixed Doubles,
SL3-SU5
• India’s Bronze medal winners:
- Alphia James & Pallavi Kaluvehalli – M- Women’s Doubles, WH1-WH2
- Krishna Nagar – Men’s Singles, SH-6 | Alphia James – Women’s Singles, WH2
- Manshi Joshi – Women’s Singles, SL3 | Tulsi Mathi Murugesan – Women’s Singles SU5
 - Naveen Shivakumar – Men’s Singles, SL4 | Umesh Vikaram Kumar – Men’s Singles, SL3
- Abhijeet Sakhuja & Arbaz Ansari – Men’s Doubles, SL3 -SL4 | Chirag Baretha & Rajkumar – Men’s
Doubles, SU5
- Prem ale & Abu Hubaida – Men’s, Doubles, WH1-WH2 | Krishna Nagar & D Pandurangan – Men’s
Doubles, SH6
- Chirag Baretha & Mandeep Kaur – Mixed Doubles, SL3-SU5 | Manisha & Mandeep – Women Doubles,
SL3-SU5

197. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (2-time Olympic medallist) – announced his retirement from International Hockey
• Lalit played 183 matches for India at the senior level, scoring 67 goals | Debut at – 2014 Hockey World Cup
• Lalit won gold at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy
• Lalit was honoured with ‘Arjuna Award’ in 2021

198. “Ostrava Golden Spike 2025” athletics meet, a World Athletics Continental Tour Category A event
• Neeraj Chopra – won gold medal with a throw of 85.29m in his debut appearance at the meet
- Silver – Douw Smith (South Africa - 84.12m) | Bronze – Anderson Peters (83.63m)
• Golden Spike – first held in 1961
• Ostrava Golden Spike meet record in men’s javelin – held by Jan Zelezny (Neeraj’s coach) with 94.64m in
1996

199. 5th “Khelo India University Games (KIUG 2025)” – to be jointly hosted by Poornima University & Rajasthan
University
- In – Jaipur, Rajasthan (in Nov 2025) | Rajasthan – to host KIUG for 1st time | It is for Under-25 athletes
• Locations of previous editions of KIUG:
- 1st (2020) – Bhubaneswar, Odisha | 2nd – Karnataka | 3rd – Uttar Pradesh - 4th (2024) – Assam, Sikkim,
Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Nagaland
• Previous champions of KIUG:
- Panjab University – 2020 & 2022 | Jain University – 2021 | Chandigarh University – 2023
• Khelo India – launched in 2017 & it has 4 key events:
- Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) – for school & junior athletes under 19 years of age
Khelo India University Games (KIUG) | Khelo India Para Games (KIPG) | Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG)

200. 23rd “World Police & Fire Games 2029 (WPFG 2029)” – to be hosted by India in Gujarat (Ahmedabad,
Gandhinagar & Ekta Nagar)
• India – 2nd Asian country to host WPFG | 1st – China (hosted 18th WPFG 2019 at Chengdu)
• 21st WPFG – to be held in Birmingham, US (2025) | 22nd WPFG – to be held in Perth, Australia (2027)
• Gujarat – to host a minimum of 55 but not more than 65 sports
• WPFG – governed by California Police Athletic Federation (CPAF), Host City & WPFG Board of Directors -
1st edition – held in 1985 in San Jose, California
• Gujarat: Capital – Gandhinagar | CM – Bhupendra Patel | Governor – Acharya Dev Vrat
201. 2nd “Asian Squash Doubles Championships 2025” – held at Arena Emas in Kuching, Malaysia
• India – won all 3 gold medals in men’s, women’s & mixed events
• Men’s doubles title – Abhay Singh & Velavan Senthilkumar | Defeating – Noor Zaman & Nasir Iqbal
(Pakistan)
• Women’s doubles – Joshna Chinappa & Anahat Singh | Defeating – Ainaa Amani & Xin Ying Yee (Malaysia)
- Anahat & Joshna – 1st Indian pair to win women’s doubles squash crown at Asian Championships
• Mixed doubles title – Anahat Singh & Abhay Singh | Defeating – Ameeshenraj Chandaran & Rachel Arnold
(Malaysia)

202. 1st “Hockey India Masters Cup 2025” – held at Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu
• Winners:
- Women – Hockey Association of Odisha | Defeated – Hockey Punjab | Bronze – Hockey Haryana
- Men – Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu | Defeated – Hockey Maharashtra | Bronze – Hockey Chandigarh
• Governing body for hockey in India – Hockey India & it is affiliated with International Hockey Federation
(FIH)
• Hockey India is the governing body for hockey in India and is affiliated with the International Hockey
Federation (FIH). It was established in 2009 and replaced the Indian Hockey Federation, which was founded
in 1925.

203. “U23 and U17 Asian Wrestling Championships 2025” – held in Vung Tau, Vietnam (from Jun 18-26)
• India – won 35 medals in both age groups (18 gold, 10 silver & 7 bronze)
• Medal Winners of the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships:
Wrestler Medal Category
Priyanshi Prajapat Gold Women’s 50 kg
Reena Gold Women’s 55 kg
Shrishti Gold Women’s 68 kg
Priya Gold Women’s 76 kg
Nikhil Gold Men’s 61kg
Sujeet Kalkal Gold Men’s 65 Kg
Jaideep Gold Men’s 74 Kg
Chander Mohan Gold Men’s 79 Kg
Sachin Gold Men’s 92 Kg
Vicky Gold Men’s 97 Kg
Neha Sharma Silver Women’s 57kg
Tanvi Silver Women’s 59kg
Pragati Silver Women’s 62 kg
Siksha Silver Women’s 65 kg
Jyoti Berwal Silver Women’s 72 kg
 Jaspooran Singh Silver Men’s 125 kg
Hinaben Khalifa Bronze Women’s 53 kg

• Medal Winners of the U17 Asian Wrestling Championships

Wrestler Medals Category
Gourav Punia Gold Men’s 65kg
Arjun Ruhil Gold Men’s 92kg
Hardeep Gold Greco-Roman 110kg
Rachana Gold Women’s 43kg
Rutuja Santosh Gurav Gold Women’s 46kg
Moni Gold Women’s 57kg
Ashvini Vishnoi Gold Women’s 65kg
Manisha Gold Women’s 69kg
Aditya Dileep Jadhav Silver Greco-Roman 48kg
Cheshta Silver Women’s 40kg
Tina Punia Silver Women’s 61kg
Kajal Silver Women’s 73kg
Dhanraj Ganapati Jamnik Bronze Men’s 51kg
Ritesh Bronze Greco-Roman 60kg
Sachin Kumar Bronze Greco-Roman 80kg
Nitin Bronze Greco-Roman 92kg
Anjali Bronze Women’s 49kg
Saarika Bronze Women’s 53kg

204. ICC approved several changes to playing conditions recently for men's international cricket
- Teams will now have to nominate designated concussion replacements for every match
- ICC announced a ‘minimum 7-day stand-down’ period for any player diagnosed with concussion
- 2 new rules - wide-ball rule for ODIs & T20Is - will be trialled by full members for a period of 6 months
w.e.f. Oct’25
- Stop clock rule will now be aspplied in Test cricket
o Under this regulation, the fielding side must begin a new over within 60 seconds after the previous over
ends
o 2 warnings will be given on failure to do so, & another failure would result in 5-run penalty on the
bowling team
 o This rule has already been enforced in the ICC WTC 2025-2027

- Two new balls will continue to be used for the first 34 overs of an innings
o From the 35th over, the fielding team selects one ball (the better-conditioned one) for the
remaining 16 overs
o If batter deliberately fails to make their ground to attempt an extra run, the batting side will face
5-run penalty
HQs of ICC – Dubai, UAE | Chairman – Jay Shah | CEO – Geoff Allardice | Members – 108 countries

205. R Praggnanandhaa – became India’s No. 1 chess player after clinching UzChess Cup Masters title
- Defeated – Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) | His live rating – 2778.3 (World No. 4)
• World No. 1 – Magnus Carlsen (Norway - 2839.2) | World No. 2 – Hikaru Nakamura (US - 2807) -
World No. 3 – Fabiano Caruana (Italy - 2784.2)
• Total prize money of Masters title – $121,500
- $80,000 – “Masters” | $25,000 – “Challengers” | $11,500 – “Futures” | $5,000 – “Open”

Persons in News
206. Lt Cdr Roopa A + Lt Cdr Dilna K = returned to Goa after successfully circumnavigating the globe in a sailing
boat
- upon the completion of the 8-month ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama II (NSP II)’ expedition
• The duo are from INA covered more than 25,600 nautical miles in 238 days in their sailing boat named ‘INSV
Tarini’
• It was the first circumnavigation of the globe in a sailing vessel by Indian women in ‘double-handed’ mode

207. Financial Services Institutions Bureau FSIB recommended the appointment of:
- Asheesh Pandey as MD & CEO of Union Bank of India (UBI)
- Kalyan Kumar as MD & CEO of Central Bank of India (CBoI)
• Tenure of current CEO of UBI (A Manimekhalai) – ends in June 2025
• Term of current CEO of CBoI (MV Rao) – ends in July 2025
• HQs of UBI – Mumbai, Maharashtra | CEO – A. Manimekhalai | Tagline – “Good People to Bank With”
• HQs of Central Bank of India – Mumbai, Maharashtra | MD & CEO – Matam Venkata Rao

208. • Prof. Anantha Chandrakasan – became 1st Indian-American to be named “Provost of MIT” w.e.f. July 1,
2025 - Succeeding – Cynthia Barnhart
 Science & Technology
209. DRDO inaugurated “Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC)” at Metcalfe House, Delhi
- To further strengthen indigenous quantum capabilities for strategic & defence applications
• Spearheaded by – Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL)
• HQs of DRDO – New Delhi | Chairman – Samir V. Kamat | Established in – 1958

210. China – launched “Tianwen-2 spacecraft” on a mission to collect samples from the asteroid ‘469219
Kamoʻoalewa’

- Location – Xichang Satellite Launch Center

• Next year, Tianwen-2 will approach a small near-Earth asteroid named ‘469219 Kamoʻoalewa’, also known as
‘2016HO3’

- It is approx. 10 million miles (16 million km) away

• If successful, China would become only the 3rd country to carry out such a mission after Japan & US
• China – Beijing – Renminbi | President – Xi Jinping | PM – Li Qiang

211. Microsoft + Yotta Data Services = collaborated to accelerate AI adoption across India
• HQs of Microsoft – Washington, US | Chairman & CEO – Satya Nadella | Founded in – 1975 President
of Microsoft India – Puneet Chandok

212. Soket AI + Gan.AI + Gnani.ai = selected in the IndiaAI Mission’s ongoing drive to facilitate the development
of an indigenous foundational AI large language model (LLM)
- Sarvam AI – first such firm
• By being selected, these firms will get access to the Common Compute facility
• India has also announced availability of 16,000 more GPUs
• HQs of Soket AI – Gurugram, Haryana | Founder & CEO – Abhishek Upperwal
• HQs of Gan.AI – Delhi | Founder & CEO – Suvrat Bhooshan
• HQs of Gnani.ai – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Founder & CEO – Ganesh Gopalan

213. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, launched “Bharat
Gen”, India’s first-of-its-kind, indigenously developed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based, government-funded,
Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) for Indian languages, at the ‘BharatGen Summit’, India’s largest
Generative AI and LLM summit and hackathon. Developed under the ‘National Mission on Interdisciplinary
Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)’ and implemented through the TIH Foundation for IoT (Internet of Things)
and IoE (Internet of Everything) at IIT Bombay, BharatGen is supported by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) and brings together a robust consortium of leading academic institutions, experts, and
innovators. The platform integrates text, speech, and image modalities, offering seamless AI solutions in 22
Indian languages. The BharatGen initiative is being executed through a network of 25 Technology Innovation
Hubs (TIHs), 4 of which have been upgraded to Technology Translational Research Parks (TTRPs). The Mission’s
4 pillars include technology development, entrepreneurship, human resource development, and international
collaboration. Smart Points:
• ‘BharatGen Summit’, India’s largest Generative AI and LLM summit & hackathon
• Jitendra Singh (MoS (I/C) for S&T) – launched “Bharat Gen”, indigenously developed AI based, Multimodal
LLM for 22 Indian languages
• Developed under – ‘National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)’
• Implemented through – TIH Foundation for IoT (Internet of Things) & IoE (Internet of Everything) at IIT
Bombay
• Supported by – Department of Science & Technology (DST)
• Its 4 pillars – technology development, entrepreneurship, human resource development & international
collaboration

214. “Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for 2024” – released by Dr V. Narayanan (ISRO
Chairman)
• Compiled by – ISRO System for Safe & Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM)
• Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres conducted to protect satellites from potential collision with other objects in
space:
- Between 2010-2024 – 122 | Between 2022-23 – 23 | Between 2023-2024 – 10
• 31 Indian satellites re-entered atmosphere till 2024 end | In 2024 alone, 9 Indian satellites re-entered
- Including – Cartosat-2, re-entered on Feb 14, 2024, ISRO’s 1st-ever lower earth orbit (LEO)
• Among intact Indian upper stages, 34 rocket bodies – re-entered Earth’s atmosphere till 2024 end (5 in 2024
only)
• A total of 136 Indian spacecraft – launched in Earth-orbit till Dec 31, 2024
• As of Dec 31, 2024, number of operational satellites owned by India: 22 – in LEO | 31 – in GEO
• 2 Indian deep space missions, ‘Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter’ & ‘Aditya-L1’ at Sun-Earth Lagrange’s point were also
active • There were 5 launches from Sriharikota
• 2024 witnessed highest number of launches since beginning of space age
- 261 launch attempts (254 were successful), adding 2578 operational satellites
• HQs of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Director – Dr. V. Narayanan | Formed on – August 15, 1969

215. Cortical Labs (Melbourne, Australia) – unveiled world’s 1st commercial biological computer, “CL1”
- Powered by – living human cells
• It merges human stem cell-derived neurons with silicon, introducing new category of AI, “Synthetic Biological
Intelligence” (SBI)
• It assembles multiple units into a biological neural network server stack, each containing 30 cell-based
computing units
• Cortical Labs developed a self-learning “computer brain” in 2022
- By placing 800,000 human & mouse neurons on a chip & training them to play a video game
216. RRII developed a mobile app “CRISP” (Comprehensive Rubber Information System Platform) with Digital
University of Kerala
• HQs of Rubber Research Institute of India RRII – Kottayam, Kerala | Executive Director - M. Vasanthagesan

217. OpenAI + IndiaAI Mission = an MoU to launch an educational platform, ‘OpenAI Academy’, to promote AI
skills in India
- 1st international rollout of OpenAI’s online learning platform
• India – 2nd-largest user base for ChatGPT
• OpenAI – to contribute educational content & resources to IndiaAI’s ‘future skills’ platform &
‘iGOT Karmayogi’ civil servant capacity-building platform
- iGOT – ‘Integrated Govt. Online Training’
• OpenAI – to conduct hackathons in 7 states to reach 25,000 students
• HQs of OpenAI – California, US | CEO – Sam Altman | President – Greg Brockman

218. ‘SEMICON Southeast Asia 2025’, a prominent event in semiconductor industry

• IIT Kharagpur + IME (Singapore) Institute of Microelectronics = an MoU for research & human capital
development in semiconductor technologies
• (IME), a core research entity under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
• Aim: To equip researchers, engineers & students with skills to meet evolving demands of global
semiconductor sector
• Director of IIT Kharagpur – Prof. Amit Patra
• Singapore – Singapore – Dollar | PM – Lawrence Wong | President – Tharman Shanmugaratnam

219. ICRISAT + IFFCO + BBSSL = tripartite service agreement to establish “Beej Anusandhan Kendra (BAK)”, a
research centre, in Gujarat
• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
• Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO)
• Bhartiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL)
• Knowledge partner – ICRISAT | To be constructed by – IFFCO | To be operated by – BBSSL
• Location of ICRISAT – Hyderabad, Telangana | DG – Himanshu Pathak
• HQs of IFFCO – New Delhi | Chairman – Dileep Sanghani | Established in – 1967

220. Dhruva Space + Sodern ArianeGroup (France) = partnered to deploy its next generation ‘HORUS’ star
tracker on a Dhruva Space hosted payload mission scheduled for launch in 2026
• HORUS – High Orbit Ultraviolet-Visible Satellite | LEAP – Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Payloads
• HQs of Dhruva Space – Hyderabad, Telangana | CEO – Sanjay Srikanth Nekkanti | Founded in – 2012
• France – Paris – Euro | President – Emmanuel Macron | PM – Francois Bayrou
221. Telangana – launched mobile app-based gig platform, “SITHA”, for women
- To empower them through flexible, skill-based earning opportunities | India’s 1st women-exclusive gig
marketplace
• Aim: To empower 1 million women entrepreneurs by 2027
• Swathi Nelabhatla – founder of mobile app SITHA & SheJobs
• Telangana: Capital – Hyderabad | CM – A. Revanth Reddy | Governor – Jishnu Dev Varma

222. TakeMe2Space (Hyderabad) – to launch India’s first “Thinking Data Compute” satellite, an AI-powered
orbiter, by Sep’25 - Aboard – Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) of ISRO
• It plans to have 2 indigenously built satellites in orbit by 2025 end, focusing on Earth observation & space
research
• HQs of TakeMe2Space – Hyderabad, Telangana | Founder & CEO – Ronak Kumar Samantray

223. Russia patented a technology for launching automatic spacecraft from an orbital station
- To became world’s 1st drone platform equipped with robots for its maintenance
• To be tested at – ‘Russian Orbital Station (ROS)’ | ROS to be deployed in a near-polar orbit between 2027 &
2033
• Russia will ensure a planned transition to its own orbital station module-by-module by 2030
• Scientific & power module (SPM), 1st segment of ROS – scheduled for launch at 2027 end
- 2nd stage of station’s deployment involves expanding station by docking 2 target modules from 2031 to
2033
• Deployment of Russia’s orbital station – to commence with deorbiting of ISS by 2030
• Russia – Moscow – Russian Ruble | PM – Mikhail Mishustin | President – Vladimir Putin

224. Google-backed space tech startup Pixxel – signed the “SPARK (Support for Prototype and Research
Kickstart) Grant”
- awarded to its subsidiary SpacePixxel Pvt Ltd under the ‘iDEX DISC 8 Challenge 6.2’
• Grant supports development of advanced Hyperspectral & MWIR (Mid-Wave Infrared) payloads tailored for
IAF
• Pixxel has already launched 3 commercial hyperspectral satellites - ‘Fireflies’
• Pixxel is building a constellation of 18-24 satellites, aimed at providing daily revisit capability anywhere on
Earth
• iDEX scheme – launched by MoD in 2018 | iDEX-Prime aims to support projects requiring support of Rs 1.5-
10 Cr
 225. Astronautical Society of India ASI + ISRO + IN-SPACe = conducted test trials of model rocket launcher
system with a payload in Kushinagar, UP
• Developed by – Thrust Tech India Pvt Ltd | Weight – 15 kg
• HQs of Astronautical Society of India – Bengaluru, Karnataka | President – S. Somanath | VP – Dr. Tessy
Thomas
• HQs of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Director – Dr. V. Narayanan | Formed on – August 15, 1969
• HQs of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre IN-SPACe – Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
Chairman – Dr. Pawan Goenka | Works under – Department of Space

226. 92nd General Session of World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – held in Paris in May 2025
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal – designated as a ‘Category A
Rinderpest Holding Facility (RHF)’
- Granted by = WOAH & FAO | For – 1-year term
• India laid down a global standard protocol in NIHSAD centre to keep virus & developed capabilities to
conduct research
• India is now among a select group of 6 facilities worldwide entrusted with crucial task of securely holding
rinderpest virus materials
- Other 5 facilities – UK, USA, France, Japan & Ethiopia
• India designated ICAR-NIHSAD as its national repository for Rinderpest Virus-Containing Material (RVCM)
back in 2012
• HQs of WOAH – Paris, France | DG – Emmanuelle Soubeyran | Founded in – 1924

227. China launched “Zhangheng 1B” electromagnetic monitoring satellite using a Long March 2D rocket, to
operate for 6 yrs
- From – Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gobi Desert | Developed under – a 2019 MoU between China
& Italy
- China’s 1st dedicated spacecraft to monitor Earth’s geophysical fields, EM waves, ionosphere & neutral
atmosphere
• It will contribute data for emergency response planning, resource mapping & communication & navigation
support
• China – Beijing – Renminbi | President – Xi Jinping | PM – Li Qiang

228. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence

DIA-CoE (IIT Delhi) demonstrated free-space quantum secure communication over a distance of 1+ km via an
optical link - Using – quantum entanglement
• Expmnt attained a secure key rate of nearly 240 bits per second with a quantum bit error rate of less than 7%
- Conducted on – IIT Delhi campus
• Demonstration was given by – Prof. Bhaskar Kanseri’s research group
- Under project “Design and Development of Photonic Technologies for Free Space Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD)”
 - Project was sanctioned by – Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management of DRDO
• India’s 1st intercity quantum communication link between Vindhyachal & Prayagraj in 2022 was
demonstrated by – DRDO scientists along with Prof. Bhaskar’s team
- Using – commercial-grade underground dark optical fibre
• Director of IIT Delhi – Prof. Rangan Banerjee

229. OpenAI introduced a new AI tool, “Codex”, to handle multiple software engineering-related tasks
simultaneously
- Powered by – codex-1, an AI model that is a variation of OpenAI’s o3 reasoning model
• OpenAI launched another AI coding agent tool, ‘Codex CLI’, in April 2025
- Powered by – OpenAI’s latest o4-mini model by default
• HQs of OpenAI – California, US | CEO – Sam Altman | President – Greg Brockman

230. ICMR inaugurated its 1st High-Performance Computing (HPC) facility, “Nakshatra”, at ICMR-National
Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune
- Inaugurated by – Dr Rajiv Bahl (Secretary of DHR & Director General of ICMR)
• Developed under – ‘Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM ABHIM)’
• HPC facility forms cornerstone of a new project, ‘High Performance Computing Next Generation Sequencing
(NGS) Hub’
• Aim: To revolutionize how genomic & bioinformatics data are processed
• HPC cluster features 12 compute nodes offering a total of 700 cores & 1 petabyte of storage
• Initially, it will serve 5 ICMR institutes across India
• HQs of Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR – New Delhi, India | Director General – Rajiv Bahl |
Established in – 1911

231. Japanese car maker Honda – successfully conducted a launch & landing test of an experimental reusable
rocket - launched from – Honda facility in Taiki Town, Hiroo District, Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan
• Flight duration – 56.6 seconds | reached an altitude of – 271.4 metres | Length – 6.3 metres
• HQs of Honda Motor Company – Tokyo, Japan | CEO – Toshihiro Mibe

232. HAL bagged a Transfer of Technology (ToT) deal from ISRO, to build & operate SSLVs | Value – Rs 511 Cr
- It is a phased payment that will be done with some amount at time of signing contract & remaining in next 2
years
• HAL will make at least 2 SSLVs with complete help & handholding from ISRO & after 2 yrs, they will be on
their own
• ToT Agreement will be signed among – HAL, NSIL, ISRO & IN-SPACe
• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
• SSLV – a three-stage vehicle to launch satellites that weigh less than 500 kg into Lower Earth Orbit (LEO)
• HQs of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CMD – D. K. Sunil (addi. charge)
• HQs of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Director – Dr. V. Narayanan | Formed on – August 15, 1969

233. The herpetofauna survey – added 5 new species to list of amphibians & 3 new species to that of reptiles -
Conducted in – Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) | It identified 67 species of amphibians & 82 species of reptiles
• Newly identified species:
- Darrel’s Chorus Frog (Microhyla darrelli) | Kerala Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis kerala)
- Jaladhara Skittering Frog (Euphlyctis jaladhara) | Nilphamarai Narrow-mouthed Frog (Microhyla
nilphamariensis)
- Narayan’s caecilian (Uraeotyphlus narayani) | Rashid’s Day Gecko (Cnemaspis rashidi)
- Meghamala Dravidogecko (Dravidogecko meghamalaiensis) | Beddome’s Dravidogecko (Dravidogecko
beddomei) • Amphibian diversity of PTR – 53 out of 67 species (80%) are found only in Western Ghats
• Among reptiles, there are 12 species on endangered list, including:
- Cane Turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica) | Travancore Tortoise (Indotestudo travancorica) - Short-tailed
Kukri (Oligodon brevicauda)
• ‘Yellow-eyed Reed Frog’ – spotted 4 times during survey
• ‘Galaxy Frog’, flagship species of Mathikettan Shola National Park – spotted in 2 different locations

234. GalaxEye – to build its 2nd Earth observation satellite, targeting a resolution of 0.5m & a revisit time of under
3 days
- Launch is scheduled for – late 2026 or early 2027 | Its 1st satellite – Mission Drishti
• It will deploy GalaxEye’s proprietary SyncFusion technology, combining SAR & Optical data acquisition
• HQs of GalaxEye – Bengaluru, Karnataka | CEO & Co-founder – Suyash Singh

235. NASA’s “Voyager 1” spacecraft uncovered a scorching “wall of fire” at the edge of our solar system
- i.e., far beyond Pluto where Sun’s influence ends & interstellar space begins
- It reaches temperatures of 30,000-50,000 Kelvin
• Heliopause (outer edge of Sun’s protective bubble (heliosphere)) – starts where solar wind slams into
material from interstellar space
• NASA – to launch Interstellar Mapping & Acceleration Probe (IMAP) in 2026 to observe heliopause from
within
• Voyager 1 – crossed into interstellar space on Aug 25, 2012 | Voyager 2 – followed it in 2018
• HQs of NASA – Washington D.C., US | Administrator (15th) – Janet Petro (acting) | Founded in – 1958
236. Jahnavi Dangeti (Andhra) – selected as an ‘Astronaut Candidate’ for space mission of Titan Space Industries
(US)
• Mission will be led by – Colonel (Retd.) William Mc. Arthur Jr. (NASA Astronaut), Chief Astronaut of Titans
Space Mission • Titans Space Orbital flight – scheduled to launch in 2029
• Jahnavi – became youngest Analog Astronaut Programme from Analog Astronaut Training Centre (AATC) at
Krakow in South Poland in 2022

237. National Institute of Immunohaematology (Mumbai), under ICMR-NIIH – created a national ‘rare blood
donor registry’
- For patients with rare & uncommon blood types who need frequent transfusions
• As per CDSCO, India has 4,000+ licensed blood banks
• Rare blood groups – lack HFA (1:1000 or less) or are negative for a combination of common antigens or have
a null phenotype
• ICMR-NIIH – granted a Centre of Excellence project in 2019, under ICMR
• CMR-Rare Donor Registry of India (RDRI) – includes 170 Bombay blood group donors
• Location of ICMR-NIIH – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Director – Dr. Manisha Madkaikar

238. The Axiom 4 Mission’s Dragon capsule, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three crewmates
- Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Tibor Kapu - successfully docked with the International
Space Station (ISS). The mission, conducted by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Axiom
Space, and SpaceX, lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket, from NASA’s
Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, the US. Former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s director of human
spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, is the commander of the mission. Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO (Indian
Space Research Organisation), is the mission pilot. The two mission specialists are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski,
a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), and Tibor Kapu from Hungary’s ‘HUNOR program
(Hungarian to Orbit)’. The crew is scheduled to spend 14 days on the ISS conducting scientific research in
microgravity. The mission also includes 5 collaborative science investigations and 2 in-orbit STEM
demonstrations between NASA and ISRO. With this mission, Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space
after Rakesh Sharma, and the first Indian to reach the ISS in four decades. Sharma had spent 8 days in orbit
aboard the Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 station in 1984.
Smart Points:
• Axiom 4 Mission’s Dragon capsule successfully docked with International Space Station (ISS)
- Carried – Shubhanshu Shukla (India) & 3 crewmates, Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski &
Tibor Kapu
• Mission was conducted by – NASA, Axiom Space & SpaceX
• Lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket, from Kennedy Space Centre in
Florida, US
• Commander of mission – Peggy Whitson | Mission pilot – Shubhanshu Shukla (representing ISRO)
• It is scheduled to spend 14 days on ISS conducting scientific research in microgravity
• Shubhanshu Shukla – became 2nd Indian to travel to space (after Rakesh Sharma) & 1st Indian to reach ISS in
four decades
 - Rakesh Sharma – spent 8 days in orbit aboard Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 station in 1984
• HQs of NASA – Washington D.C., US | Administrator (15th) – Janet Petro (acting) | Founded in – 1958
• HQs of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Director – Dr. V. Narayanan | Formed on – August 15, 1969

239. 6 latest additions to FAO’ flagship programme “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)”:
- Erva Mate Agroforestry (Brazil)
- Deqing Pearl Mussel Fishery (China)
- Fuding White Tea Culture (China)
- Gaolan Ancient Pear Orchards (China)
- Metepantle Agricultural Terraces (Mexico)
- Volcanic and Sea Sand Farming (Spain)
• With this, FAO’s worldwide agricultural heritage network now consists – 95 systems in 28 countries
• Newly designated systems take number in: Brazil – 2 | China – 25 (highest) | Mexico – 3 | Spain – 6
• GIAHS – launched at ‘World Summit for Sustainable Development’ in 2002
- To safeguard & support world’s agricultural heritage systems
• 3 recognised GIAHS sites in India:
- Pampore Saffron Heritage of Kashmir (2011)
- Koraput Traditional Agriculture of Odisha (2012)
- Kuttanad Below Sea Level Farming System of Kerala (2013)
• HQs of Food and Agriculture Organization FAO – Rome, Italy | DG – Dr. Qu Dongyu | Founded in – 1945

240. 1st successful flight of “iRonCub3”, world’s 1st jet-powered flying humanoid robot built for real-world
environments - Developed by – Researchers at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)
• Research was conducted by – IIT roboticists in Genoa, Italy
• It is latest milestone from Artificial & Mechanical Intelligence (AMI) Lab at IIT, led by Daniele Pucci

241. MiPhi (Micromax + Phison) = 1st Indian company to design & manufacture enterprise-grade Solid State
Drives in India
• MiPhi Semiconductors Private Limited, a strategic joint venture between Micromax Informatics and Taiwan’s
Phison Technology
• India’s data centre capacity is projected to surpass 1.3 GW with over $10 billion in investments by 2026
• Global enterprise SSD market is expected to grow to over – $50 billion by 2028 (from $27 billion in 2024)
• HQs of MiPhi Semiconductors – Gurugram, Haryana | CEO – Prasad Balakrishnan

242. BBIL (Hyderabad) + GSK plc = to supply world’s 1st malaria vaccine “RTS,S” to Gavi for
its next vaccine replenishment phase during 2026-2030
• Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi)
• RTS,S – 1st malaria vaccine recommended by WHO in 2021 | Developed by – GSK, PATH & partners
• Bharat Biotech – to reduce price of vaccine to less than $5
• HQs of Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) – Hyderabad, Telangana | Chairman – Dr. Krishna Ella

243. Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a regional wing of International Potato Center (CIP)-South Asia
Regional Center
(CSARC), Peru, at Singna in Agra, UP, in 10 hectares of land
- Cost – Rs 171 Cr (Rs 111.5 Cr – funded by India & Rs 60 Cr – funded by CIP)
• CSARC – to be 2nd major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India
- 1st – A South Asia Regional Centre of IRRI-SARC (Philippines) was established in Varanasi, UP, in 2017
• China Center for Asia Pacific (CCCAP) – established in Yanqing, Beijing, in 2017
• Potato – 3rd third most available food crop in world (after rice & wheat)
- Sweet potato – 6th position (after maize & cassava)
• India – 2nd-largest potato producer in world (after China)
• Top 3 potato producer states in India in 2020-21 – UP (15 mn tonnes), WB (15 mn tonnes) & Bihar (9 mn
tonnes)
• CIP started its work in India in 1975, signing an initial agreement with ICAR
• ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute), Shimla – working on potato
• ICAR-CTCRI (Central Tuber Crops Research Institute), Thiruvananthapuram – working on sweet potato
• HQs of CIP – Lima, Peru | Chair – Helen Hambly Odame | Founded in – 1971

Appointments & Resignations

244. The B R Gavai administered the oath of office to 3 new judges - Justice N.V. Anjaria, the incumbent Chief
Justice of Karnataka High Court; Justice Vijay Bishnoi, presently functioning as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High
Court; and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar of the Bombay High Court - of the Supreme Court. With this, the top court
has reached its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. As Supreme Court judge
Justice Bela M Trivedi is set to superannuate on June 9, 2025, one vacancy of judge will arise. A Supreme Court
judge is appointed by the President under Article 124 (2) of the Constitution.
Smart Points:
• Chief Justice of India CJI B R Gavai administered the oath of office to 3 new judges of the Supreme Court:
- Justice N. V. Anjaria (incumbent Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court)
- Justice Vijay Bishnoi (presently Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court)
- Justice Atul S. Chandurkar (Bombay High Court)
• With this, the top court has reached its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges (including CJI)
• Justice Bela M Trivedi (SC Judge) – to superannuate on June 9, 2025
• SC judge is appointed by the President under Article 124 (2) of the Constitution
245. Luís Montenegro (Social Democratic Party) – reappointed as Prime Minister of Portugal
• Portugal – Lisbon – Euro | President – Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | PM – Luis Montenegro

246. Rajiv Memani (EY India’s Chairman & CEO) – assumed office as President of CII for 2025-26 term (replacing
- Sanjiv Puri)
• R. Mukundan (MD & CEO of Tata Chemicals Ltd) – took over as CII President-Designate for 2025-26
• Suchitra K. Ella (co-founder & MD of Bharat Biotech Int. Ltd) – took over as CII Vice President for 2025-26
• HQs of CII – New Delhi | President – Rajiv Memani | VP – Suchitra K. Ella | DG – Chandrajit Banerjee

247. Karol Nawrocki (Law and Justice Party (PiS)) – to be President of Poland from Aug 6, 2025 (succeeding -
Andrzej Duda)
• Poland – Warsaw – Polish zloty | President – Andrzej Duda (from Aug’25 - Karol Nawrocki) | PM – Donald
Tusk

248. Annalena Baerbock (Germany) – elected as President of UNGA’s 80th session (in secret-ballot vote
demanded by Russia)
- She became 1st woman from Western European group to hold this post & 5th woman overall to lead UNGA
• 80th session – to start from Sep 9, 2025
• Veto power – held by 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK & US)
• HQs of UN General Assembly UNGA – New York, US | 79th Session’s President – Philemon Yang (Cameroon) |
Members – 193

249. Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki – appointed as an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President of India
- She became first woman officer from Indian Navy to assume this position
• President of India – Supreme Commander of Armed Forces
• Aide-de-Camp – serves as a personal assistant & liaison to high-ranking officials
• In India, President typically has 5 ADCs – 3 from Army & 1 each from Navy and Air Force

250. Lee Jae-myung (Democratic Party) – elected as President of South Korea for 5 years (succeeding - Yoon Suk
Yeol)
• South Korea – Seoul – Korean Republic won | President – Lee Jae-myung

251. Economist S Mahendra Dev has been appointed as the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the
Prime Minister (EAC-PM). Dev, who was an independent director on the board of Axis Bank, resigned from the
position upon his appointment as EAC-PM Chairman. Currently, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery heads
the EAC-PM. Mr Dev also serves as the chairman of the Institute for Development Studies, Andhra Pradesh.
Smart Points:
• S Mahendra Dev – appointed as Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister (EAC-PM)
• Currently, head of EAC-PM – Suman Bery (NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman)
252. Sudarshan Venu – appointed as CMD of TVS Motor Company Ltd, w.e.f. Aug 25, 2025 (succeeding - Sir Ralf
Speth)
• Sir Ralf Speth – appointed as chief mentor of TVS Motor Company Ltd for 3 years, w.e.f. Aug 23, 2025
• Venu Srinivasan – Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company
• HQs of TVS Motor Company Ltd – Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Chairman – Sir Ralf Speth (Sudarshan Venu - from
Aug’25)

253. Bhupender Yadav – appointed as President of IBCA at 1st assembly of IBCA | S.P. Yadav – appointed as DG of
IBCA
• Assembly (apex body of IBCA) – attended by a Ministerial delegation from 9 countries
- Bhutan, Cambodia, Eswatini, Guinea, India, Liberia, Suriname, Somalia & Kazakhstan
• IBCA will establish its HQs & such other offices in host country (India)
• IBCA – launched by PM Modi in Apr 2023 to mark 50th anniversary of Project Tiger
• IBCA was created for the conservation of the 7 big cats - Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar
& Puma
• Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change: Bhupender Yadav | Constituency – Alwar, Rajasthan
MoS in Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change: Kirtivardhan Singh

254. Zandanshatar Gombojav – appointed as PM of Mongolia (succeeding - Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai)

• Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar – Mongolian Togrog | President – Ukhnaa Khurelsukh | PM – Zandanshatar
Gombojav

255. Arun Srinivas – appointed as MD & Head of Meta India, w.e.f. Jul 1, 2025 (succeeding -
Sandhya Devanathan) - He is currently serving as – Director & Head of Ads Business in India
• Sandhya Devanathan – appointed to lead both India & South-East Asia
• HQs of Meta – California, US | CEO – Mark Zuckerberg | Founded in – 2004

256. 10th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
• Zou Jiayi (China) – appointed as next president of AIIB, w.e.f. Jan 16, 2026 (succeeding - Jin Liqun)
• Largest shareholder of AIIB with voting shares – China (26.54%)
- 2nd – India (7.58%) | 3rd – Russia (5.9%) | 4th – Germany (4.1%)
• HQs of AIIB – Beijing, China | President – Jin Liqun (from Jan’26 – Zou Jiayi) | Established in – 2016 |
Members – 110

257. Parag Jain – appointed as new Chief of Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) for a tenure of 2 years • He
succeeds – Ravi Sinha
• Other external intelligence agencies – CIA (US) & MI6 (UK)
• HQs of R&AW – New Delhi | Chief – Parag Jain
258. Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) – took office as 1st female & African President of IOC (succeeding - Thomas
Bach)
- She also became youngest President, at 41, since Pierre de Coubertin (in 1896)
• Thomas Bach – to serve as Honorary President for Life of IOC
• HQs of International Olympic Committee IOC – Lausanne, Switzerland | President – Kirsty Coventry |
Established in – 1894

Awards, Rewards, Recognition & Prizes

259. “2024 Air Connectivity Ranking” – released by Airports Council International for Asia-Pacific & Middle East
• Delhi’s IGI Airport (10th) – only Indian airport ranked among top 10 hub airports in Asia-Pacific & Middle
East region
• Delhi Airport – connected to 153 destinations worldwide (81 domestic & 72 international routes)
• Top airport (globally) – Dubai International Airport (UAE) | 2nd – Shanghai Pudong International Airport
(China)
- 3rd – Incheon International Airport (South Korea) | 4th – Hamad International Airport (Qatar) - 5th –
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (China)
• Hong Kong International Airport – most improved airport in air connectivity in APAC & MID regions in 2024
• Most connected airport in Middle East in 2024 – Dubai International Airport
- 2nd – Hamad International Airport | 3rd – King Abudulaziz International Airport (Saudi Arabia)
• Most-connected airports in Asia-Pacific in 2024 – Incheon International Airport
- 2nd – Shanghai Pudong International Airport | 3rd – Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
• Top spot in Hub Connectivity Index – Dubai International Airport (UAE)
- 2nd – Shanghai Pudong (China) | 3rd – Hamad International Airport (Qatar)

260. President Murmu conferred “National Florence Nightingale Awards 2025” upon 15 exceptional nursing
professionals - Instituted by – Ministry of Health & Family Welfare | Cash prize – Rs 1 lakh
• List of winners:
Category Name State
1 ANM Reba Rani Sarkar Andaman and Nicobar
2 ANM Valiveti Subhavathi Andhra Pradesh
3 ANM Saroj Fakirbhai Patel Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman &
Diu
4 ANM Raziya Beegum P B Lakshadweep
5 ANM Sujata Ashok Bagul Maharashtra
6 LHV Bina Pani Deka Assam
7 Nurse Kijum Sora Karga Arunachal Pradesh
 8 Nurse Dimple Arora Delhi
9 Nurse Maj Gen Sheena P D Delhi
10 Nurse Dr Banu M R Karnataka
11 Nurse Leimapokpam Ranjita Devi Manipur
12 Nurse V Lalhmangaihi Mizoram
13 Nurse L S Manimozhi Puducherry
14 Nurse Alamelu Mangayarkarasi K Tamil Nadu
15 Nurse Doli Biswas West Bengal

261. 72nd edition of Miss World pageant – held at HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, Telangana
• Opal Suchata Chuangsri (Thailand) – crowned “Miss World 2025” (prize money ~ Rs 8 Cr)
- crowned by Miss World 2024 Krystyna Pyszkova
- She is the first female from Thailand to be crowned Miss World
• Grand finale was hosted by = Stephanie Del Valle (Miss World 2016) + Sachiin Kumbhar (Indian TV
personality) This year, India was represented by – Miss India 2023 Nandini Gupta (Rajasthan) First 3 runner-
ups at 72nd edition of Miss World pageant:

- Miss Ethiopia Hasset Dereje, Miss Poland Maja Klajda, & Miss Martinique Aurelie Joachim
• Jury of the finals was led by – Julia Morley
• India has hosted this event 3 times – 1996 (Bengaluru), 2024 (Mumbai & Delhi), 2025 (Hyderabad)
• To date, 6 Indians have been crowned Miss World:
- Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanaka
Chopra (2000), & Manushi Chiller (2017)
• 1st Miss World was held in England in 1951 | Winner – Kerstin Margareta Hakansson (Sweden)
• HQs of Miss World Organisation – London, UK | Chairperson – Julia Morley

262. 8th annual leadership summit of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) – held in Washington, D.C.
• Kumar Mangalam Birla (Chairman of Aditya Birla Group) – awarded with “Global Leadership Award”
- Others – Arvind Krishna (Chairman, CEO & President of IBM) & Toshiaki Higashihara (Ex. Chairman of
Hitachi)
• Aditya Birla Group – invested over $15 billion in US to date
• HQs of USISPF – Washington, US | President & CEO – Mukesh Aghi | Formed in – 2017
• HQs of Aditya Birla Group – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Kumar Mangalam Birla
263. 1st edition of “2025 Women Leaders List” – unveiled by Hurun India & Candere
• 97 women leaders collectively oversee enterprises – valued at more than Rs 11.7 lakh Cr
• Top positions in various categories:
- Shanti Ekambaram (Deputy MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank) – leading women ‘professionals’ in country
- Radha Vembu (Co-founder of Zoho) – ‘first-generation wealth creators’ | Net worth – Rs 55,300 Cr
- Roshni Nadar Malhotra (Chairperson of HCL Technologies) – ‘next-generation women leaders’ list o HCL
Technologies is valued at – Rs 4.87 lakh Cr
- Isha Ambani (Ex. Dr. of Reliance Retail Ltd) – 6th in ‘young women leaders’ category (33 years)
• Youngest honouree on list – Mrunal Panchal, an Influencer Founder (26 yrs) | Eldest – Arpita Singh (87
years)
• It features 9 categories – Professionals, First-Generation Wealth Creators, Next-Generation Leaders,
Investors, Philanthropists, Young Women Leaders, Artists, Most-Followed Influencer Founders & Most-
Followed Celebrity Investors

264. Defence Investiture Ceremony 2025 (Phase-II) – held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi
• Droupadi Murmu conferred upon 92 Distinguished Service Decorations to personnel of Armed Forces, ICG &
BRO
- 30 ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medals (PVSMs)’ | 5 ‘Uttam Yudh Seva Medals (UYSMs)’ | 57 ‘Ati Vishisht Seva
Medals (AVSMs)’
• 5 UYSMs – DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Lt Gen Zubin A Minwalla, Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, Air Marshal Sujeet
Pushpakar Dharkar (Rd) & Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha (Rd)
• Major recipients of PVSMs (including others):
- Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar – currently serving as commander of Army’s Western Command
- Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth – currently serving as commander of Army’s Southern Command
• Major recipient of AVSMs (including others): Lt Gen Bhavnish Kumar (Parade Commander in 2025 Republic
Day Parade)
• PVSM – to recognize distinguished service during peacetime
UYSM – to recognize distinguished service during war, conflict, or hostilities
AVSM – to recognize distinguished service to all ranks of IAF during peacetime & non-operational conditions
of war

265. Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra (DG of Meteorology, IMD) – awarded “United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025” -
For Disaster Risk Reduction
• Theme for 2025 – “Connecting science to people: Democratizing access to innovation and technology for
disaster resilient communities”
• Award – established in 1986 with support of The Nippon Foundation
266. M. S. Dhoni – inducted into International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame
- He is among 7 new inductees (5 men & 2 women), joining a list of 115 past honorees
- He became 11th Indian & 9th Indian male cricketer, to receive this honour
• Other male inductees – Matthew Hayden (Australia), Hashim Amla (South Africa), Graeme Smith (South
Africa) & Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
• Female inductees – Sana Mir (Pakistan) & Sarah Taylor (England)
• Other 10 Indians – Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar,
Vinoo Mankad, Diana Edulji (female), Virender Sehwag & Neetu David (female)
• He debuted in 2004 & took over as India’s captain in 2007 & led team to titles in:
- ‘2007 T20 World Cup’, ‘2011 ODI World Cup’ & ‘2013 Champions Trophy’
• Dhoni retired from international cricket in Aug 2020
• HQs of ICC – Dubai, UAE | Chairman – Jay Shah | CEO – Geoff Allardice | Members – 108 countries

267. Full list of winners of “PSA Awards 2024-25”:

- PSA Male Player of the Season – Ali Farag (Egypt)
- PSA Female Player of the Season – Nour El Sherbini (Egypt)
- PSA Male Young Player of the Season – Mohamad Zakaria (Egypt)
- PSA Female Young Player of the Season – Amina Orfi (Egypt) and Anahat Singh (India)
- PSA Challenger Male Player of the Season – Sam Todd (England)
- PSA Challenger Female Player of the Season – Anahat Singh (India)
- PSA Men’s Spirit of Squash Award – Ali Farag (Egypt)
- PSA Women’s Spirit of Squash Award – Nour El Sherbini (Egypt) and Satomi Watanabe (Japan)
- PSA Men’s Match of the Season – Ali Farag (Egypt) 3-2 Diego Elias (Peru) - 2024 Paris Squash Semi-Final
- PSA Women’s Match of the Season – Hania El Hammamy (Egypt) 3-2 Nouran Gohar (Egypt) - 2025 J.P.
Morgan Tournament of Champions Final
- PSA Men’s Shot of the Season – Gregoire Marche (France)
- PSA Women’s Shot of the Season – Satomi Watanabe (Japan)
- PSA Moment of the Season – Nour El Sherbini (Egypt)
- PSA Services to Squash Award – Steve Line

268. Javed Akhtar – 1st Indian writer to receive “Dostoevsky Star Award” by Russian House in Mumbai
• A book of Akhtar’s poems was also released during event | Translated into Russian by – Ramdas
Akella
• Previous awards won by Javed Akhtar: 5 National Film Awards for Best Lyrics | Padma Shri (1999)
- Padma Bhushan (2007) | Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection ‘Lava’ (2013)
- He became 1st Indian to receive ‘Richard Dawkins Award’ (2020)
269. Sonal Mansingh (classical dancer) – conferred with “Srimanta Sankardeva Award for 2023” - By –
Lakshman Prasad Acharya (Assam Governor)
• Award was instituted by – Assam government in 1986 in memory of Vaishnav Saint Mahapurush, Srimanta
Sankardeva
• Assam: Capital – Dispur | CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma | Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya

270. Narendra Modi – conferred with “Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III” of Cyprus (country’s highest
civilian honour)
• The Order of Makarios III is the senior order of knighthood awarded by the country named after the first
President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III.
• PM Modi is on a 3-nation tour – Cyprus, Canada, & Croatia
• Cyprus – Nicosia – Euro | President – Nikos Christodoulides

271. Leena Nair (Global CEO of Chanel) – awarded Britain’s “Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE)” honour
- By – Prince William (Prince of Wales) | During a ceremony held at – Windsor Castle, in
Windsor, UK - Award is part of ‘2025 King’s New Years Honours’
• At Chanel, she became 1st female, 1st Asian & youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer
• UK – London – Pound Sterling | PM – Keir Starmer | New King – King Charles lll

272. “2024 Crawford Fund Medal” – awarded to Kadambot Siddique from Kodungalloor, Thrissur
- He is working as Hackett Professor & Director of Agriculture at UWA Institute of Agriculture, University of
Western Australia
• He received – ‘2023 Scientist of the Year’ at Western Australian Premier’s Science Awards & Friendship
Award (in 2019)
• He became a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences in 2024
• He was appointed Special Ambassador by UN FAO for ‘International Year of Pulses in 2016’

273. “Annecy International Animation Festival 2025, France” – world’s most prestigious stage for animation
• “Desi Oon”, a film by Suresh Eriyathas – won ‘Jury Award for Best Commissioned Film’
• “Desi Oon” – also shortlisted at ‘Cannes Lions 2025’ in Film Craft Lions category
• “Desi Oon” – also earned multiple international accolades:
- AICP Show Winner 2025 | 2 Golds at Good Ads Matter 2025
- 2 Blue Elephants & 1 Baby Black Elephant | D&AD Wooden Pencil Winner
• ‘Create in India Challenge’ – launched by MoIB as part of WAVES 2025
• Organized by = MoI&B + ASIFA (International Animated Film Association) India
• ASIFA India – Indian chapter of ASIFA International (a UNESCO-supported global body)
274. GoI will institute “Bhagwan Birsa Munda Prize” of Rs 10 Cr to develop a drug for treatment of Sickle cell
disease on World Sickle Cell Day (June 19)
• Currently, there is only one drug available for management of disease
• Sickle cell disease – a group of inherited blood disorders that affect haemoglobin, causing red blood cells to
become sickle-shaped & block blood flow
• MoTA + AIIMS-Delhi = to undertake a competition for development of drug
• MoTA – to establish a ‘Centre for Tribal Health and Research Institute’ under AIIMS-Delhi
• PM Modi launched “National Sickle Cell Anaemia Eradication Mission” on Jul 1, 2023, to eradicate disease by
2047 - Government aims to screen 7 crore people up to 40 years of age
• Director of AIIMS New Delhi – Dr M Srinivas | It is an autonomous institute under Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare
• Minister of Tribal Affairs: Jual Oram | Constituency – Sundergarh, Odisha MoS in Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
Durgadas Uikey

275. Sahitya Akademi has announced the “Yuva Puraskar for 2025” to 23 authors and “Bal Sahitya Puraskar
2025” to 24 authors. English writer Advait Kottary has been named Yuva Puraskar winner for his novel
“Siddhartha: The Boy Who Became the Buddha”, while Hindi author Parvati Tirkey for her book of poetry “Phir
Ugna”. There is no Yuva Puraskar in Dogri this year. Nitin Kushalappa
MP has been named the winner of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his book of stories in English “Dakshin South
Indian Myths and Fables Retold”, and Sushil Shukla has won the award for “Ek Batey Bara” in Hindi. The winners
will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and an award of Rs 50,000 at a special function on a
later date. Yuva Puraskar, instituted in 2011, recognises young writers under 35 years of age for their
outstanding works in any of the 24 major Indian languages. In 2025, the awards will be presented across 6
categories, including 9 in Poetry, 5 in Novel, 4 in Short Stories, 3 in Criticism, 1 in Essays, and 1 in Epic. Whereas,
Bal Sahitya Puraskar, established in 2010, recognises excellence in children’s literature aimed at readers aged 9
to 16 years, written in any of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, as well as
English and Rajasthani. In 2025, the award will be given across 7 categories, including 8 in Poetry, 5 in Stories, 4
in Short Stories, 4 in Novel, 1 in Drama, 1 in Articles, and 1 in Play. {Read more}
Smart Points:
• Sahitya Akademi announced “Yuva Puraskar for 2025” to 23 authors & “Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2025” to 24
authors
• Winners will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque & an award of Rs 50,000 at a special
function later • Yuva Puraskar – instituted in 2011
- Given in 6 categories in 2025 – Poetry (9), Novel (5), Short Stories (4), Criticism (3), Essays (1) & Epic (1)
• Bal Sahitya Puraskar – established in 2010
- Given in 7 categories in 2025 – Poetry (8), Stories (5), Short Stories (4), Novel (4), Drama (1), Articles (1)
& Play (1)
Winners of the Yuva Puraskar for 2025:

Awardee Language Book Name Category

Parvati Tirkey Hindi Phir Ugna Poetry
Amar Khungur Bodo Ang Asur Poetry
Boro

Fagu Baskey Santali Ala Saon inj Poetry

Sudeshna Moitra
Bengali Ekrokha Chiruni Tollashi Poetry
Neha Jha Mani Maithili Banaras Aa Hum Poetry
Subash Thakuri Nepali Junko Aansu Poetry
Mandeep Aulakh
Punjabi Girls Hostel Poetry
Poonam Chand
Rajasthani Antas re aanganai Poetry
Godara
Manthan Bachani
Sindhi Pandhiyado Poetry
Siddhartha: The Boy Who Became the Novel
Buddha
Advait Kottary English

Akhil P. Dharmajan
Malayalam Ram C/O Anandhi Novel
Pradeep Kokare Marathi Khel Khel Dukhana Dele Novel
Prasad Suri Telugu Mairaavana Novel
Maulard Haqeqat, Thereek-e-Azadi-e-
Neha Rubab Urdu Novel
Hind: Hind Ka Faramosh Kardah Qaaed
Suprakash Bhuyan Short
Assamese Kuchiyanama
Stories
Glynis Dias Konkani Gaavgaathaa Short
Stories
Subrat Kumar Short
Odia Kadambabana
Senapati Stories
Latshmihar Tamil Kuttonru Kutirru Short
Stories
R. Dileepkumar Kannada Pacceya Jaguli Criticism
Saiqa Sehar Kashmiri Harfas Harfas Zaag Criticism
Dheeraj Kumar Paribhashikshabd-
Sanskrit Criticism
Pandey swarasyam(vedantparibhashasandarbhe)
Mayur Khavdu Gujarati Narsinh Tekari Essays
A. K. Jiten Manipuri Khoyum Nongdam Cow Epic
 • Winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for 2025:

Awardee Language Book Name Category

Surendra Mohan Das Assamese Mainaahatar Padya Poetry
P.L.Parihar “Shauq” Dogri Nanhi Tor Poetry
Kirtida Brahmbhatt Gujarati Tinchak Poetry
Suresh Sawant Marathi Aabhalmaya Poetry
Rajakishore Parhi Odia Kete Phula Phutichi Poetry
Preeti Pujara Sanskrit Balvisvam Poetry
Haralal Murmu Santali Sona miru-ag Sandesh Poetry
Heena Agnani ‘Heer’ Sindhi Asmani pari Poetry
Tridib Kumar
Bengali Ekhono Gaye Kanta Daye Stories
Chattopadhyay
Binay Kumar Brahma Bodo Khanthi Bwswn Arw Akhu Danai Stories
Nitin Kushalappa MP English Dakshin South Indian Myths and Fables Retold Stories
Nayana Adarkar Konkani Belabaicho Shankar Aani Haer Kanyo Stories
Gangisetti Sivakumar Telugu Kaburla Devatha Stories
Sushil Shukla Hindi Ek Batey Bara Short Stories
K. Shivalingappa Kannada
Notebook Short Stories
Handihal
Izhar Mubashir Kashmiri Shure Te Tchure Gyush Short Stories
Munni Kamat Maithili Chukka Short Stories
Malayalam
Sreejith Moothedath Penguinukalute Vankarayil Novel
Sangmu Lepcha Nepali Shanti Van Novel
Pali Khadim (Amrit
Punjabi Jadoo Patta Novel
Pal Singh)
Vishnupuram
Tamil Ottrai Siragu Oviya Novel
Saravanan
Rajasthani
Bhogilal Patidar Pankheruvan Ni Pira Drama
Ghazanfar Iqbal Urdu Qaumi Sitare Articles
Manipuri Angangshinggee Shannabungsida
Shanto M. Play

276. IPPB – conferred the prestigious “Digital Payments Award 2024-25” by Ministry of Finance
- For its outstanding contribution to expanding digital payments & financial inclusion across the country
• IPPB achieved 1st position among Payments Banks in India in the Performance Index for FY25
• It also received ‘Special Mention’ award for FY24
• HQs of India Post Payments Bank IPPB – New Delhi | MD & CEO – R Viswesvaran | Chairman – Vandita Kaul |
Established on – 1st Sep, 2018
 Schemes & Initiatives
277. Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) announced detailed guidelines for its electric car manufacturing policy,
the “Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI)”. The Government of India
had earlier approved the policy and was first announced on March 15, 2024. According to the scheme, an
approved automobile manufacturer is required to invest at least Rs 4,150 crore (around $500 million) in order to
set up a manufacturing plant in India within 3 years of receiving approval from the MHI. The approved EV
manufacturer can directly import completely built electric (CBUs) electric four-wheelers priced at least $35,000
to avail a reduced customs duty of 15% for 5 years. A company can import 8,000 units of electric four-wheelers
per year at lower tariff rates. It also allows unutilized annual imports to be carried over into the next year.
Furthermore, the companies must achieve at least 25% of local components within 3 years and 50% within 5
years, based on the standards set under the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Auto Scheme. The total benefit
under the scheme is capped by either the committed investment or a maximum duty foregone limit of Rs 6,484
crore, whichever is lower. The land costs are excluded, and spending on charging infrastructure is capped at 5%
of the total committed investment. Further, a formal Notice Inviting Applications will be open for a 120-day
window for companies to apply online. Eligibility criteria require applicants to demonstrate minimum global
automotive revenues of Rs 10,000 crore and global fixed assets of at least Rs 3,000 crore, ensuring only
established players can qualify. Smart Points:
• MHI announced detailed guidelines for its electric car manufacturing policy, “Scheme to Promote
Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI)”
• GoI earlier approved this policy & was first announced on Mar 15, 2024
• Minimum amount to be invested by an approved automobile manufacturer – Rs 4,150 Cr
- To set up a manufacturing plant in India within 3 years of receiving approval from MHI
• Approved EV manufacturer can directly import completely built electric 4-wheelers priced at least $35,000
to avail a reduced customs duty of 15% for 5 years
• A company can import 8,000 units of electric four-wheelers per year at lower tariff rates
• Companies must achieve at least 25% of local components within 3 years & 50% within 5 years
- Based on standards set under PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Auto Scheme
• Total benefit is capped by either committed investment or max. duty foregone limit of Rs 6,484 Cr, whichever
is lower
• Land costs are excluded & spending on charging infrastructure is capped at 5% of total committed
investment
• A formal Notice Inviting Applications will be open for a 120-day window for companies to apply online
• Eligibility criteria require applicants to demonstrate minimum:
- Global automotive revenues – Rs 10,000 Cr | Global fixed assets – at least Rs 3,000 Cr
• Minister of Heavy Industries: H. D. Kumaraswamy | Constituency – Mandaya, Karnataka
MoS in Ministry of Heavy Industries: Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma

278. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has launched the “Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan
Yojana” and the “Green Adoption Scheme” from Hamirpur. The ‘Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana’ aims to
increase the green cover by planting fruit-bearing trees on barren and degraded forest areas. It will also ensure
the participation of mahila and yuvak mandals, besides the self-help groups. The CM also handed over certificates
to 2 mahila mandals from Nadaun - Amlehad and Bhawdan - which will carry out the plantation activities on 2
hectares of forest land and ensure its maintenance for 5 years. In the initial phase of the ‘Green Adoption
Scheme’, the Ambuja group will undertake plantation work on 25 hectares, while the Adani Foundation and
UltraTech will adopt 10 hectares each. The scheme envisages encouraging private enterprises, corporate houses,
and non-government organisations as a part of their social responsibility to adopt barren forest land and
undertake afforestation work. During the event, the CM inspected the passingout parade of the newly appointed
Van Mitras. Further, he announced the opening of 3 new wellness centres under the municipal corporation of
Hamirpur. He also released a souvenir titled “Samvaad” dedicated to Van Mitras and launched a book titled “The
Mountainous Wilderness of Spiti”. Smart Points:
• Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (HP CM) – launched “Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana” & “Green Adoption
Scheme” from Hamirpur
• CM handed over certificates to 2 mahila mandals from Nadaun to carry out plantation activities on 2 hectares
of forest land & ensure its maintenance for 5 years
- Amlehad & Bhawdan
• In initial phase of ‘Green Adoption Scheme’:
- Ambuja group – to undertake plantation work on 25 hectares
- Adani Foundation & UltraTech – to adopt 10 hectares (each)
• CM announced opening of 3 new wellness centres under municipal corporation of Hamirpur
• He released a souvenir, “Samvaad”, dedicated to Van Mitras & launched a book, “The Mountainous Wilderness
of Spiti”
• HP: Capital – Shimla & Dharamshala | CM – Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu | Governor – Shiv Pratap Shukla

279. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has completed 9 years. Launched in June 2016,
the PMSMA, a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was designed to provide antenatal
care (ANC) services free of cost to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month, particularly during the 2nd and
3rd trimesters. Maharashtra leads with 1,131 registered volunteers assisting pregnant women, followed by Uttar
Pradesh and Rajasthan with 1,076 and 1,015 volunteers, respectively. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of
women receiving ANC with 1,89,534 beneficiaries, followed by Madhya Pradesh (38,573), and Andhra Pradesh
(36,216). PMSMA led to a significant improvement in India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which declined
from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 80 per lakh live births in 2021-23, a notable reduction of 50 points.
As of now, 6.19 crore pregnant women have been examined under PMSMA. The PMSMA further aligns with the
broader goals of the ‘Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition
(RMNCAH+N)’ strategy under the National Health Mission (NHM). Besides this, the extended PMSMA (E-PMSMA)
strategy was rolled out in January 2022 to ensure the tracing and tracking of High-Risk Pregnant (HRP) women.
As of December 31, 2024, more than 78.27 lakhs HRP have been identified across all States/UTs.
Smart Points:
• Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) – launched in June 2016
• It was designed to provide antenatal care (ANC) services free of cost to all pregnant women on 9th of every
month, particularly during 2nd & 3rd trimesters

• State with highest registered volunteers assisting pregnant women – Maharashtra (1,131) -
Followed by – UP (1,076) & Rajasthan (1,015)
• State with highest number of women receiving ANC – UP (1,89,534) | Followed by – MP (38,573) & Andhra
(36,216)
• India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio – declined to 80 per lakh live births in 2021-23 (from 130 in 2014-16)
• Extended PMSMA (E-PMSMA) strategy – rolled out in Jan 2022 to ensure tracing & tracking of High-Risk
Pregnant women
• Minister of Health & Family Welfare: Jagat Prakash Nadda | Constituency – Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao & Anupriya Singh Patel

280. Assam launched “Mukhya Mantrir Jiban Anuprerana Scheme” to extend financial assistance to research
scholars
• Aim: To provide one-time financial assistance to research scholars, focusing on divyang scholars
• Amount to be provided: Rs 25,000 – for full-time research scholars | Rs 40,000 – for Divyang research
scholars • Assam also launched Swagata Satirtha Portal
• Assam: Capital – Dispur | CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma | Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya

281. For the first time, the government has capped spending under the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)” at 60% of its annual allocation - Rs 86,000 crore - for the first 6
months of FY2025-26. This means that only Rs 51,600 crore will be available for the scheme until the end of
September. Until now, MGNREGS has operated as a demand-driven programme with no such spending limit
under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). However, the Union Ministry of Finance has informed MoRD
that it will now be brought under the ‘Monthly/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP)’, a spending control
mechanism from which it has been exempt so far. The Union Ministry of Finance introduced the MEP/QEP in
2017 to help ministries manage cash flow and avoid unnecessary borrowing. Although a 60% spending cap may
not have made a difference in most years - given that first-half spending has typically ranged between 50 and
60% (53.5% in 2024–25, 60.51% in 2023–24, 54.29% in 2022–23, 60.83% in 2021–22, and 53.79% in 2020–21).
However, it could impact employment generation under the rural job guarantee scheme this year, due to a
significant carryover of pending liabilities worth Rs 21,000 crore from FY2024-25. For 2025-26, the MoRD has
approved a labour budget of 198.86 crore persondays. Of this, 67.11% (133.45 crore persondays), are projected
to be created in the first half of the FY. The term ‘persondays’ refers to the total number of days of work
performed by individuals under the scheme. As of June 8, 2025, the Centre has released Rs 24,485 crore, which is
28.47% of MGNREGS’s total allocation. MGNREGS, which got Parliament’s nod in August 2005, was implemented
in February 2006 in the country’s poorest districts. In 2008, it was extended across India. It provides at least 100
days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members
volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Smart Points:
• For 1st time, govt capped spending under “MGNREGS” at 60% of its annual allocation, for first 6 months of
FY26
- MGNREGS – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme | Annual allocation – Rs
86,000 Cr - Rs 51,600 Cr – to be available for scheme until end of September
• MGNREGS – to be brought under ‘Monthly/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP)’ (introduced in 2017 by
MoF)
• For FY26, MoRD approved a labour budget of 198.86 crore persondays
- Of this, 67.11% (133.45 crore persondays) – projected to be created in first half of FY
• ‘Persondays’ – total number of days of work performed by individuals under scheme
• As of Jun 8, 2025, Centre released Rs 24,485 Cr (28.47% of MGNREGS’s total allocation)
• MGNREGS – implemented Feb 2006 in country’s poorest districts (extended across India in 2008)
- It provides at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a FY to every rural household whose
adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work

282. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is developing a comprehensive model social security scheme for
the 5.73 crore ‘Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCWs)’ registered across the States. This ambitious
initiative will be funded by an unutilised corpus exceeding Rs 70,000 crore. This fund represents the aggregate of
unspent monies held by 36 BOCW Welfare Boards in individual States and UTs. These funds are primarily
generated through a cess, ranging from 1-2%, collected from employers on the total cost of construction since the
enactment of the ‘Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of
Service) Act’ in 2005. This scheme would provide individual pensions to registered workers upon their
retirement at 60 years of age. Given that labour is a State subject, the Centre can only offer this as a guiding
framework. The proposed scheme aligns with the government’s broader objective of extending social security
benefits to gig and platform workers, in addition to the existing ‘PM Jan Arogya Yojana’. The registered workers
would become eligible for social security benefits only after completing a continuous number of years of service,
with the specific criteria still under development. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is being
considered as the fund manager for this welfare scheme. While the Ministry’s model scheme will guide States
and UTs, the ultimate determination of pension amounts, eligibility criteria, and disbursement methods for
registered BOCWs will remain at their discretion. In the event of a BOCW’s death before reaching 60, the
accumulated funds due to them will be disbursed to their family, similar to other life insurance schemes. Should a
worker pass away after turning 60, the declared nominee in their family will be entitled to receive the pension.
The Ministry data reveal significant disparity in BOCW registration, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest
number at over 1.64 crore, while Ladakh reports no registered BOCWs. It is noteworthy that Delhi is already
providing pensions to BOCWs. Smart Points:
• MoLE is developing a comprehensive model social security scheme for 5.73 crore ‘Building & Other
Construction Workers (BOCWs)’ registered across states
- Fund – Rs 70,000 Cr
• Registered workers would become eligible for social security benefits only after completing a continuous
number of years of service
• EPFO – fund manager for this welfare scheme
• In event of a BOCW’s death before 60, accumulated funds will be disbursed to their family
- If a worker pass away after 60, declared nominee in their family will be entitled to receive pension
• Highest number of BOCW registration – UP (1.64 crore) | Ladakh – no registered BOCWs
• Delhi – already providing pensions to BOCWs

283. Andhra launched “Talliki Vandanam” scheme to give Rs 15,000 annually to every school-going child in a
household
- Aka – ‘Mother of all Welfare Schemes’ by government
- It is one of ‘Super Six’ set of welfare promises made by CM N Chandrababu Naidu in run-up to 2024 polls
• Out of Rs 15,000 per annum, Rs 2,000 will be deducted at source for overall development of educational
ecosystem
• Andhra Pradesh: Capital – Amaravati | CM – N Chandra Babu Naidu | Governor – Syed Abdul Nazeer

284. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched “North East Apprenticeship Pilot”
initiative, a strategic pilot scheme aimed at promoting apprenticeship among youth in the northeastern region.
Under the advanced apprenticeship scheme, approximately 26,000 youth from the region will receive an
additional Rs 1,500 per month for one year. This is over and above the existing stipend of up to Rs 1,500 per
month provided under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), which is implemented
nationwide. The enhanced financial support is designed to address mobility-related challenges and ensure that
youth from the region can access training opportunities both within and outside the northeast. Rs 43.94 crore
has been earmarked for the pilot project, which includes Rs 4 crore for outreach, capacity building, and project
implementation. The pilot scheme will be implemented by the Guwahati-based Indian Institute of
Entrepreneurship and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Smart Points:
• MSDE – launched “North East Apprenticeship Pilot” initiative to promote apprenticeship among youth in the
NE region
• Approx 26,000 youth from the region will receive an additional Rs 1,500 per month for 1 year
• Rs 43.94 Cr – earmarked for the pilot project
• The pilot scheme will be implemented by = IIE + NSDC

285. Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), in convergence with the Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), has launched the joint pilot initiative, namely, “NAVYA (Nurturing Aspirations
through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls)” for the skilling of adolescent girls in Sonbhadra, Uttar
Pradesh. NAVYA is a pilot initiative aimed at equipping adolescent girls aged 16-18 years with a minimum
qualification of Class 10, with vocational training mainly in non- traditional job roles. This pilot initiative will be
implemented in 27 Districts of the country, which include Aspirational districts and districts of North-eastern
States spanning across 19 States. As part of the initiative, both ministries will formalize a framework for
institutional convergence, aligning efforts to deliver integrated skill training to adolescent girls. The programme
will draw upon the strengths of ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)’ and other flagship skill
development schemes like ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana’. PMKVY, launched in 2015, is a flagship program of MSDE.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) implements it with the help of training partners. PM
Vishwakarma was launched on 17th September, 2023, to provide comprehensive support to traditional artisans
and craftspeople engaged in manual and tool-based work. The eligible applicant must be an artisan or
craftsperson working with hands and tools in one of the 18 family-based traditional trades in the unorganised
sector on a self-employment basis. He/she must be above 18 years at the time of registration and must be
actively working in the trade at registration. He/she should not have availed loans under ‘Prime Minister’s
Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)’, ‘MUDRA’, ‘PM SVANidhi’ in the past 5 years, except those who
have fully repaid. Only one member per family (husband, wife, and unmarried children) can benefit.
Smart Points:
• MWCD + MSDE = launched joint pilot initiative, “NAVYA”, for skilling of adolescent girls in Sonbhadra, UP
- NAVYA – Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls
• Aim: To equip adolescent girls with minimum qualification of Class 10, with vocational training
• To be implemented in – 27 districts, including Aspirational districts & districts of North-eastern states, across
19 states
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) – launched in 2015, as a flagship program of MSDE
- Implemented by – National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) • PM Vishwakarma – launched on Sep
17, 2023
• Eligible applicant:
- Must be an artisan or craftsperson working with hands & tools in one of 18 family-based traditional
trades
- Minimum age – 18 years | Only one member per family (husband, wife, and unmarried children) can
benefit
- Must not availed loans under – ‘Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)’,
‘MUDRA’, ‘PM SVANidhi’ in past 5 years, except those who have fully repaid
• Minister of Women & Child Development: Annapurna Devi | Constituency – Kodarma, Jharkhand MoS in
Ministry of Women and Child Development: Savitri Thakur
• MoS (I/C) in Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship: Jayant Chaudhary | Constituency – Mathura,
UP

286. UPSC – launched “Pratibha Setu” initiative, allowing verified employers to connect with top talent from
India’s most competitive examinations
- Verified employers – include central government & private organisations
- Earlier known as – ‘Public Disclosure Scheme (PDS)’ (in force since Aug 20, 2018)
• Private organisations can also register through their own using commission’s portal
• UPSC first used this scheme to disclose list of candidates for Combined Medical Services Examination, 2017
• Non-recommended willing candidates included in scheme are:
- Civil services examination & examinations for Indian Forest Service, CAPFs, Engineering Services,
Combined Geo- Scientist, Combined Defence Services, IES/ISS examination & Combined Medical Services
• HQs of UPSC – New Delhi | Chairman – Dr Ajay Kumar
287. 196th meeting of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) – held at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
- Chaired by – Mansukh Mandaviya (Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports)
• ESIC also approved re-launch of “SPREE (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers, Employees)” -
SPREE – introduced in 2016
• Renewed SPREE – to be open from Jul 1 to Dec 31, 2025
• ESIC approved “Amnesty Scheme - 2025”, a one-time dispute resolution window from Oct 1 to Sep 30, 2026
• Maximum rate of damage – reduced to 1% for every month on amount payable by employer (from 25% per
annum)
• HQs of ESIC – New Delhi | DG – Ashok Kumar Singh
• Minister of Labour & Employment & Youth Affairs & Sports: Mansukh L. Mandaviya | Constituency –
Porbandar, Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Labour & Employment: Shobha Karandlaje
MoS in Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports: Raksha Nikhil Khadse
 Meetings, Conferences and Summits
288. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (Min. of L&E and YA&S) – inaugurated “Urban Adda 2025” conclave in New Delhi
- Aim: To unite young voices, experts & leaders to forge sustainable urban futures
- Organised by = Raahgiri Foundation + ICCT + GuruJal | Supported by – Nagarro
• During this event, coinciding with ‘World Bicycle Day 2025’ (June 3), Minister launched 2 publications:
- “Cycling, Children & Cities” – authored by Dr Bhairavi Joshi
- “Road to Cycle2School” – authored by Dr Bhairavi Joshi & Ar Kush Parikh
• ‘Urban Adda 2025’, featured thematic sessions such as:
- ‘Youth Adda’, ‘Cyclothon’, ‘Urban Adda Film Festival - UAFF-25’, & ‘Interactive Public Art Exhibits
• Minister of Labour & Employment & Youth Affairs & Sports: Mansukh L. Mandaviya | Constituency –
Porbandar, Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Labour & Employment: Shobha Karandlaje
MoS in Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports: Raksha Nikhil Khadse

289. PM Modi inaugurated 81st Annual General Meeting of IATA & World Air Transport Summit (hosted by -
IndiGo)
- Chaired by – Pieter Elbers (CEO of IndiGo & Chair of IATA Board of Governors)
• PM unveiled ‘Aviation Vision 2047’, stating India aims to add 50 airports by 2030 & scale up to 350 airports
by 2047
• Luis Gallego (CEO of International Airlines Group) – appointed as 83rd Chair of IATA board (succeeding -
Pieter Elbers)
• 82nd AGM – to be hosted by LATAM Airlines in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in Jun 2026
• India hosted AGM meeting for 3rd time in 2025 | Previous meetings – in 1958 & 1983
• HQs of IATA – Montreal, Canada | DG – Willie Walsh | Chairman – Luis Gallego

290. ‘Conference on Global South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets’ – held in New Delhi
• ICRISAT + RIS = launched “ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA)”
• ICRISAT + DAKSHIN = an MoU during the event
• Location of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics ICRISAT – Hyderabad, Telangana
| DG – Himanshu Pathak
• HQs of RIS – New Delhi | Chairperson – Sanjay Kumar Verma | DG – Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi

291. DPIIT + Copyright Office = hosted a special event in New Delhi to mark the 68th anniversary of the
‘Copyright Act, 1957’ -
• Theme – “Reform in Copyright Act in the Digital Era”
• HQs of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade DPIIT – New Delhi | Secretary – Amardeep
Singh Bhatia | Founded in – 1995 (Functions under Ministry of C&I)
292. The 7th edition of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) was organised
by the New Delhi-headquartered Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in partnership with the
Government of France in Nice, under the theme “Shaping a Resilient Future for Coastal Regions”. This is the 1st
time the conference was held in Europe with the CDRI as the co-chair. ICDRI 2025 was aligned with the ‘United
Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR)’ in
Geneva, and the 3rd ‘UN Oceans Conference (UNOC3)’, in Nice. This year’s focus is on coastal communities, which
contribute roughly $1.5 trillion to global GDP (gross domestic product) annually - a figure projected to rise to
nearly $3 trillion by 2030. In addition, nearly 90% of goods moved globally are transported by sea. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi addressed the conference and outlined key global priorities to strengthen disaster
resilience, the need for early warning systems and coordination. The CDRI is working with 25 Small Island
Developing States (SIDS) to build resilient homes, hospitals, schools, energy systems, water security measures,
and early warning systems. The conference also welcomed the African Union, a coalition of 54 members, as a
new member of CDRI. CDRI also released the working paper on “Infrastructure Resilience in Small Island
Developing States”. CDRI was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN Climate Action Summit in
September 2019. It is India’s 2nd major global initiative after the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Smart Points:
• 7th edition of International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) – held in Nice, France
- Organised by = CDRI (New Delhi) + France | Theme – “Shaping a Resilient Future for Coastal Regions”
- This is 1st time conference was held in Europe with CDRI as co-chair | Addressed by – PM Narendra Modi
• ‘UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR)’ – held
in Geneva • 3rd ‘UN Oceans Conference (UNOC3)’ – held in Nice
• Share of coastal communities to global GDP – $1.5 trillion annually (to rise to nearly $3 trillion by 2030) -
~90% of goods moved globally – transported by sea
• African Union (a coalition of 54 members) – became a new member of CDRI
• Working paper on “Infrastructure Resilience in Small Island Developing States” – released by CDRI
• CDRI – launched by PM Modi at UN Climate Action Summit in Sep 2019
- India’s 2nd major global initiative after ISA
• HQs of CDRI – New Delhi | DG – Amit Prothi | Founded in – 2019

293. “2nd Session of the IALA Council” – held in Nice, France

• India – Vice President of International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA)
• Indian delegation was led by – T.K. Ramachandran (Secretary of MoPSW)
- Also included – Mukesh Mangal (Joint Secretary) & Karthick Chensudar (Director)
• 3rd ‘IALA General Assembly’ – to be held in Dec 2025 in Mumbai | 21st ‘IALA Conference’ – to be held in 2027
in Mumbai
• India – a member of International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation IALA since 1957 | India –
elected as VP of IALA during 1st General Assembly in Singapore in Feb’25

294. As part of the ongoing efforts to explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) native in
telecommunication network, the 3rd meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Focus Group
on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) was inaugurated in New Delhi. This
ITU event is being organized by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of Department
of Telecommunications (DoT). During the event, India sought support of ITU members for its bid to host the ITU
Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 (PP-30), continued membership in the forthcoming ITU Council (2027-2031)
and for Indian Nominee, Ms. M. Revathi, as the first woman and first regional candidate for Director of the ITU
Radiocommunication Bureau (2027-30). Smart Points:
• 3rd meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence
Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) – New Delhi
• Organized by – Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC)
• India sought support of ITU members:
- for its bid to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 (PP-30)
- for continued membership in the forthcoming ITU Council (2027-2031)
- for Indian Nominee, Ms. M. Revathi, as the first woman & first regional candidate for Director of the ITU
Radiocommunication Bureau (2027-30)
• HQs of ITU – Geneva, Switzerland | Secretary General – Doreen Bogdan-Martin

Ranks, Reports & Surveys

295. “India’s AI Revolution: A Roadmap to Viksit Bharat” report – released by MeitY
• Demand for AI professionals – to touch 1 million by 2026
• Under ‘IndiaAI Future Skills’ initiative, govt is expanding AI education across UG, PG & PhD programs
- Providing various fellowships to full-time PhD scholars researching AI in top 50 NIRF-ranked institutes
• Data & AI Labs are being established in Tier 2 & 3 cities, with a model ‘IndiaAI Data Lab’
- Model lab is already set up at – NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology),
Delhi
• AICTE revealed a significant increase in approved BTech seats for 2024-25 academic year to 14.9 lakh (16%
growth)
• IIT Madras launched 5 new online courses in AI on its ‘SWAYAM Plus’ platform
• Minister of Electronics & Information Technology: Ashwini Vaishnaw | Constituency – Odisha
MoS in Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology: Jitin Prasada

296. National Workshop on Using Alternate Data Sources & Frontier Technologies for Policy Making – held in
New Delhi 8th issue of publication titled “EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics” – released by MoSPI
• Key highlights of publication:
- Annual mean temperature increased to 25.74°C in 2024 (from 25.05°C in 2001) o In same period, annual
temperature rise: minimum – to 20.24°C | maximum – to 31.25°C
 - Globally, marine faunal species – 2,47,605 | India – 20,613 o Species in India: 9,436 – freshwater species
| 5,023 – in Indian Mangrove System | 3,383 – in Estuarine Ecosystem | 22,404 – in Soil Ecosystem o
Total count of faunal species: Globally – 16,73,627 | 1,04,561 – in India
- Inland fish production – increased to 139.07 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 (from 61.36 lakh tonnes in 2013-
14)
- Marine production – increased to 44.95 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 (from 34.43 lakh tonnes in 2013-14)
- Highest expenditure share – Environment Sustainability Sector as Rs. 2433.24 Cr in 2021-22 o Lowest
expenditure share – Agro-Forestry Sector among 3 sectors (Agro-Forestry, Conservation of Natural
Resources & Environment Sustainability)
• ‘EnviStats India’ – published by NSO, aligned with Framework for Development of Environment Statistics
(FDES) 2013 - Since – 2018

297. MHA announced that upcoming ‘Population Census 2027’, India’s 16th decennial census, will be conducted
in 2 phases: - Phase I – House Listing & Housing Census | Phase II – Population Enumeration
• It will be India’s 1st digital census & 1st in independent India to include an enumeration of castes as well
• It will be conducted under ‘Census Act, 1948’ & ‘Census Rules, 1990’
• Reference date for population count – 12 a.m. on Mar 1, 2027
- For Ladakh & non-synchronous snow-bound areas of J&K, HP & Uttarakhand – 12 a.m. on Oct 1, 2026
• India’s census – conducted under Census Act, 1948 & Census Rules, 1990 | Last census – conducted in 2010
& 2011
• As per constitutional mandate, first census after 2026 can be used as basis to redraw Lok Sabha
constituencies & proposed 33% reservation for women in Parliament & Assemblies
• Next general election – to be held in 2029
• Population Census – carried out every 10 years by Office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner, under
MHA
• Minister of Home Affairs: Amit Shah | Constituency – Gandhinagar, Gujarat
MoS in Ministry of Home Affairs: Nityanand Rai & Bandi Sanjay Kumar

298. The Foundational Literacy Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) conducted under the ‘ULLAS
(Understanding for Lifelong Learning for All in Society) - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram’ reveals that Tamil
Nadu recorded a 100% success rate, certifying all 5,09,694 learners who appeared for FLNAT. Tripura closely
followed, certifying 13,909 of 14,179 learners, a 98.1% success rate, while Delhi certified 7,901 of 7,959
candidates, recording a 99.3% success rate. In contrast, states like Uttarakhand (85.7%), Gujarat (87.1%) and
Himachal Pradesh (88.3%) posted lower certification rates despite moderate participation. FLNAT is a
nationwide assessment focused on foundational literacy and numeracy certification. States and Union territories
identify illiterate populations, train them, and then test and certify them as they come out of illiteracy. The
assessment comprises 3 subjects - Reading, Writing, and Numeracy - each carrying 50 marks, totalling 150
marks. The test has been developed to evaluate the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of registered non-
literate learners.
Smart Points:
• Foundational Literacy Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) – conducted under ‘ULLAS-Nav Bharat
Saaksharta Karyakram’ - ULLAS – Understanding for Lifelong Learning for All in Society
• Tamil Nadu – recorded a 100% success rate, certifying all 5,09,694 learners who appeared for FLNAT
- 2nd – Delhi, 99.3% success rate certified 7,901 of 7,959 candidates
- 3rd – Tripura, 98.1% success rate, certifying 13,909 of 14,179 learners
• Lower certification rates – Uttarakhand (85.7%), Gujarat (87.1%) & Himachal Pradesh (88.3%)
• Assessment comprises 3 subjects (Reading, Writing & Numeracy) – each carrying 50 marks

299. In Climate Change Performance Index 2025 (CCPI 2025), India – ranks 10th (from 7th in 2024)
• CCPI evaluates countries on 4 key indicators – Greenhouse Gas GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy,
Energy Use & Climate Policy
• Overall, top 3 positions remain vacant, with no country ranking ‘very high’ on all parameters
- 4th – Denmark | Followed by – Netherlands, UK, Philippines, Morocco, Norway & India
• Out of 64 countries responsible for over 90% of global GHG emissions, only 22 are making progress in CCPI
2025
• G20 countries account for over 75% of world’s GHG emissions
• CCPI – published annually since 2005 by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute & Climate Action Network
International

300. 10th edition of “Global Energy Investment 2025” report – released by International Energy Agency (IEA)
• Country with highest global energy investment in 2025 – China (over 25%)
• Global clean energy investments – to reach $2.2 trillion in 2025, double investment in oil, natural gas & coal
combined
• Energy investments in Africa – to fall by a third in 2025 (compared to 2015)
- Africa accounts for only 2% of clean energy investment despite supporting 20% of world population
• India – increased investments in renewable power to $37 billion in 2025 (from $13 billion in 2015) -
Fossil fuel investments – rose to $49 billion (from $41 billion)
- India’s cost of capital for grid-scale renewable energy – 80% higher than in advanced economies
- Spending on nuclear & other clean energy sources – increased to $6 billion in 2025 (from $1 billion in
2015)
- Over past 5 years, India’s investment in solar photovoltaic generation – averaged $16 billion per year
• India committed $245 million to nuclear projects for FY26 to increase nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047
• India’s investment in grids & storage – declined to $25 billion in 2025 (from $31 billion in 2015)
• Global grid investment – to exceed $400 billion in 2025
• Approximately $1 trillion is spent annually on generation assets, while grids receive only $400 billion
worldwide
• HQs of IEA – Paris, France | Executive Director – Dr. Fatih Birol | Member countries – 30
301. Survey by Holematthi Nature Foundation (HNF) – led by Dr Sanjay Gubbi (conservation biologist)
• Wild leopards in forests & scrublands fringing Bengaluru harbour – 80-85
- Bengaluru surpasses Mumbai’s documented population of around 54 leopards
- Bengaluru – became largest metropolis with highest known number of free-ranging big cats
• 54 leopards – inside Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) | 30 leopards – roaming reserved, deemed & private
forests
• Bengaluru – only metro whose fringes still support an ensemble of tigers, leopards, dholes, elephants, gaur,
sambar & other large mammals
• 34 mammal species – photo-captured (4 - Endangered | 4 - Near Threatened)
• 22 species – under Schedule I | 5 species – under Schedule II of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972

302. According to the World Bank’s report, titled, “Poverty & Equity Brief”, India’s extreme poverty rate declined
sharply to 5.3% over a decade from 27.1% in 2011-12, even as the World Bank revised upwards its threshold
poverty line to $3 per day. Given India’s inflation rate between 2017 and 2021, a revised extreme poverty line of
$3 would constitute a 15% higher threshold than $2.15 expressed in 2021 prices and result in a 5.3% poverty
rate in 2022-23. India has lifted 171 million people from extreme poverty in the decade between 2011-12 and
2022-23. In India, 54,695,832 people lived on less than $3 per day in 2024. Thus, the poverty rate at $3 per day
(2021 PPP - percentage population) is 5.44% in 2024. The rural extreme poverty dropped from 18.4% to 2.8%,
and urban from 10.7% to 1.1%, narrowing the rural-urban gap from 7.7 to 1.7 percentage points a 16% annual
decline. The extreme poverty rate decreased from 16.2 to 2.3% between 2011-12 and 2022-23, while the poverty
rate at the lower middle-income country (LMIC) line declined by 33.7 percentage points. The five most populous
states account for 54% of the extremely poor. With regard to the economy, the report said, the real GDP (gross
domestic product) of India was around 5% below the pre-pandemic trend level as of FY25. The current account
deficit is expected to average around 1.2% of GDP over FY26-28 and remain adequately financed by capital
inflows. The foreign exchange reserves are projected to remain stable at around 16% of GDP.
• “Poverty & Equity Brief” report – released by World Bank
• India’s extreme poverty rate – declined to 5.3% over a decade (from 27.1% in 2011-12)
- World Bank revised upwards its threshold poverty line to – $3 per day
• India lifted 171 million people from extreme poverty in decade between 2011-12 & 2022-23
• In India, 54,695,832 people lived on less than $3 per day in 2024
- Poverty rate at $3 per day (2021 PPP - percentage population) – 5.44% in 2024
• Extreme poverty drop: Rural – to 2.8% (from 18.4%) | Urban – to 1.1% (from 10.7%)
- Rural-urban gap – 16% annual decline
• Extreme poverty rate – decreased to 2.3% between 2011-12 & 2022-23 (from 16.2)
• Poverty rate at lower middle-income country (LMIC) line – declined by 33.7 percentage points
• 5 most populous states – account for 54% of extremely poor
• Real GDP of India – ~5% below pre-pandemic trend level as of FY25
• Current account deficit – to average around 1.2% of GDP over FY28
• Foreign exchange reserves – to remain stable at around 16% of GDP
• HQs of World Bank – Washington D.C., US | President – Ajay Banga | MD/CFO – Anshula Kant | Members –
189

303. “Global Data Center Market Comparison 2025” report – released by Cushman & Wakefield
• Mumbai – secured 6th spot among 97 global cities in terms of under-construction data centre capacity
• Mumbai – accounts for 42% of India’s projected under-construction capacity
• Mumbai – ranks as 7th established data center market in Asia Pacific region
• At 2024 end, Mumbai had 335 MW of data center capacity under construction
• Top – Virginia (1,834 MW data centre capacity under construction)
- Followed by – Atlanta (1,078 MW), Columbus (546 MW), Dallas (500 MW), Phoenix (478 MW),
Austin/San Antonio (325MW), Reno (305MW), London (265MW) & Dublin (249 MW)
• Among Asia-Pacific’s emerging data centre hubs: Pune – 4th | Bengaluru – 5th
• As of Q1 2025, Pune’s operational data center stock – stands at 112 IT MW • Asia Pacific ended 2024
with 1.6 GW of new capacity coming online
- Bringing region’s total operational data center capacity to – 12.2 GW

304. As per Crisil Ratings,

• India – to add 75 GW of renewable energy in FY26 & FY27, taking overall capacity to 233 GW
by March 2027
- Up 53% from 49 GW added in FY24 & FY25
• Investments in renewables – to surge by 52% to Rs 3.8 lakh Cr in FY26 & FY27 (from Rs 2.5 lakh Cr)
• Share of hybrid & storage-linked projects, out of total 75 GW – ~37% (from 17% in FY24 & FY25)
• Investments in renewables – Rs 2.5 lakh Cr in FY24 & FY25 (from Rs 1.8 lakh Cr in FY22 & FY23)
- To grow by half to Rs 3.8 lakh Cr in FY26 & FY27
• Capital expenditure in transmission sector – Rs 36,000 Cr in FY25 (from Rs 15,000 Cr in FY24)
• Crisil projected a capex of between Rs 0.9-1 lakh Cr in FY26 & FY27
• According to ‘Grid-India Resource Adequacy’ report, India – to add 45 GW in ongoing FY26
- Led by – solar (26.5 GW), wind (6.3 GW), coal (4.4 GW), battery energy storage (3.3 GW), hydro (1.6 GW),
pumped storage (1.5 GW) & nuclear (1.4 GW)

305. “World Steel in Figures 2025” report – released by World Steel Organisation (Worldsteel)
• Tata Steel Group – 10th largest producer of crude steel by producing 31.02 mt of crude steel (from 29.5 mt in
2023)
• JSW Steel Ltd – 12th largest producer, manufacturing 26.95 mt (from 26.15 mt in 2023)
• SAIL – 20th largest producer with output of 19.10 mt

• Other Indian steel companies: Jindal Iron & Steel Group – 51st with 8.06 mt
 - Vizag Steel (RINL) – 89th position with production of 3.65 mt
• Top steel producer – China Baowu Group with 130.09 mt in 2024 (from 130.77 mt in 2023)
- 2nd – Arcelor Mittal (65 mt) | 3rd – Ansteel (China - 59.55 mt)
• World steel production – slipped to 1.885 billion tonnes
• Outputs in 2024: China – decreased to 1.05 billion tonnes | India – rose to 149.4 mt
• India’s steel production – increased by 50% since 2020 & output dropped to 99.6 mt
• Global steel production – increased by 12% in past decade | China’s share – increased to 53.3%
• India – 2nd-largest producer | India – accounts for 7.9% of global output (from 5.2% in 2014)
HQs of WSA – Brussels, Belgium | Chairman – Thachat Viswanath Narendran

307. As per ILO’s “ILOSTAT” database:

• India – 2nd in world in social security coverage, protecting more than 94 crore of its citizens | 1st – China
• India’s social security coverage – increased to 64.3% this year (from 19% in 2015)
• Phase I of ‘Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise’ – focused on beneficiary data in 8 selected states
• India – 1st country globally to update its 2025 social protection coverage data in ILOSTAT database
• According to ILO, social security has 9 components:
- Access to quality healthcare | Income security in case of illness | Unemployment protection | Old age
pensions
- Protection against injury during employment | Family & child benefits | Maternity benefits | Disability
benefits - Survivor benefits to widows & dependent children in case family earner dies
• HQs of ILO – Geneva, Switzerland | DG – Gilbert F. Houngbo | Founded in – 1919

308. “Global Gender Gap Report 2025” – released by WEF

• India – 131st (from 129th in 2024)
• Women’s representation in: Parliament – down to 13.8% (from 14.7%) | Ministries – fell to 5.6% (from
6.5%) • Best performer in South Asia – Bangladesh (75th)
- Nepal – 125 | Sri Lanka – 130 | Bhutan – 119 | Maldives – 138 | Pakistan – 148 (lowest
globally) • Top 5 countries – Iceland (for 16th consecutive year), Finland, Norway, UK & New Zealand
• Global Gender Gap Index measures gender parity across 4 key dimensions:
- Economic Participation & Opportunity | Educational Attainment
- Health & Survival | Political Empowerment
• HQs of WEF – Cologny, Switzerland | Chairman – Klaus Schwab | President & CEO – Borge Brende |
Founded – 1971

309. As per latest data released by Tea Board:

• Tea exports from India – increased by 9.92% at 254.67 million kg in 2024 (from 231.69 million kg in 2023)
• Production in north Indian estates in 2024 – 154.81 million kg, a rise of 9.79% y-o-y (from 141 million kg in
2023)
• Production in south India in 2024 – 99.86 million kg, a rise of 10.11% y-o-y (from 90.69 million kg in 2023)
• Production between Jan-Mar 2025: All-India production – 69.22 million kg in 2024 (from 67.53 million kg y-
o-y)
- North India – 14.38% higher at 45.35 million kg (from 39.65 million kg y-o-y)
- South India – declined 14.38% to 23.87 million kg (from 27.88 million kg y-o-y)
• HQs of Tea Board of India – Kolkata, West Bengal | Chairman – Amardeep Singh Bhatia

310. “State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2025” report – released by World Bank
• Countries are increasingly adopting carbon pricing, covering ~28% of GHG emissions, accounting for almost
2/3rd of GDP
• Number of operational carbon pricing instruments – grown to 80 today (from 5 in 2005)
- India, Brazil & Turkey – actively developing them
• Carbon pricing – instrument that makes companies pay for hidden costs of GHG emissions
• 3 types of carbon pricing instruments are covered in report:
- Emissions trading system (ETS) | Carbon taxes | Carbon credit trading mechanisms
• It identified a total of 43 carbon taxes & 37 ETSs that are currently in operation
• Globally, carbon pricing generated over $100 billion in 2024
• Average prices doubled in last 10 years & coverage emissions increased to 28% (from 12%)
• HQs of World Bank – Washington D.C., US | President – Ajay Banga | MD/CFO – Anshula Kant | Members –
189

311 The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) released the Centralized Public
Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) 34th monthly report for states/UTs for May 2025. A total
of 78,123 grievances were redressed by the States and UTs in May 2025. The pendency of grievances on the
CPGRAMS portal stands at 1,97,787 grievances across the States/UTs for May 2025. The Feedback Call Centre
collected a total of 65,601 feedbacks in May 2025, where, 26,633 feedbacks were collected from States/UTs. A
total of 60,499 new users registered in May 2025, with maximum registrations from Uttar Pradesh (10,043
registrations). The report also provides a state-wise analysis of the grievances registered through Common
Service Centres (CSC). CPGRAMS has been integrated with the CSC portal and is available at more than 5 lakh
CSCs, associating with 2.5 lakh village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs). 5,653 grievances were registered through
CSCs in May 2025. Uttar Pradesh received the maximum number of grievances with 26,634. Uttar Pradesh and
Gujarat disposed of the maximum number of grievances in May 2025, with 26,658 and 14,369 grievances,
respectively. The report also includes the status of grants released under the ‘Sevottam Scheme’ in FY 2024-25. In
the last 4 FYs (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 202526), 855 training courses have been completed, in which around
28,438 officers have been trained. Smart Points:
• Centralized Public Grievance Redress & Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) 34th monthly report for states/UTs
for May 2025 - Released by – DARPG
• 78,123 grievances – redressed by States & UTs in May 2025
• Pendency of grievances on CPGRAMS portal across States/UTs for May 2025 – 1,97,787 grievances
• Total feedbacks collected by Feedback Call Centre in May 2025 – 65,601 (26,633 feedbacks - collected from
States/UTs)
• New users registered in May 2025 – 60,499 | Maximum registrations from – UP (10,043 registrations)
• CPGRAMS integrated with CSC portal & is available at 5+ lakh CSCs, associating with 2.5 lakh village-level
entrepreneurs
• 5,653 grievances – registered through CSCs in May’25 | Maximum number of grievances registered with –
UP (26,634)
• Maximum number of grievances disposed in May 2025 – UP (26,658) | Followed by – Gujarat (14,369)
• In last 4 FYs (FY23 to FY26), 855 training courses have been completed
• DARPG – works under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

312. “Women in Politics: 2025” factsheet – released by UN Women

• India – ranked 174th in 2nd-lowest category of nations having 2-9.9% of women political leaders
• Union Cabinet of India – includes only 9.7% women ministers, representing 2nd-lowest proportion since 2011
• “Women Political Leaders 2025” – released by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) & UN Women
- As of Jan 1, 2025, only 22.9% of heads of Cabinet ministries were women (from 23.3% in 2024)
• Countries having no women ministers in 2025 – 9 (from 7 in 2024)
• Number of cabinets with at least 50% women ministers – dropped to 9 this year (from 15 last year)
• Central & Southern Asia – lowest proportion of women in cabinet positions, standing at just 9.5%
• Women are most frequently appointed to positions related to gender equality (87%) & family and children
affairs (71%)
• Men are heading ministries that dominate issues of national & global importance, including:
- Defence – 87% | Financial & fiscal affairs – 84% | Foreign affairs – 82%
• Overall countries led by women in 2025 – 27 (from 21 in 2020)
• 103 countries – never had a woman head of government

313. 25th edition of monthly report, titled, “NeSDA Way Forward for States/UTs, May 2025” – released by DARPG
• Total e-services provided across States/UTs – 21,062 | Maximum e-services were provided by – Karnataka
(2089)
• Majority of e-services (7,065) fall under – Local Governance & Utility Services sector
• 424 new e-services – added since last report by States/UTs across the country
• Highest number of additions across all focus sectors – Tripura
• 1,599 out of 2,016 mandatory e-services – now available online across all 36 States/UTs | Saturation rate –
79%
- 16 States/UTs – achieved >90% saturation | Maharashtra & Uttarakhand – achieved 100% saturation
• 3 new additional assessment parameters included in NeSDA framework:
- ‘Open Government Data’ | ‘E-participation’ | ‘Leveraging emerging technologies’
• Karnataka, J&K, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Assam & Odisha – provide 100% services through unified service
delivery portal - Uttarakhand – achieved 100% saturation during May 2025
• At city-level e-governance, Gurugram & Agartala – showcased best practices for service delivery
• DARPG – works under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

314. “Global Liveability Index 2025” – released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
• Global average livability score across 173 cities in 2025 Index – 76.1 out of 100 (same as last year)
• World’s most liveable city in 2025 – Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Followed by – Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), Melbourne (Australia) & Geneva (Switzerland)
• Least liveable city in 2025 – Damascus (30.7)
- Other cities near bottom – Tripoli (Libya), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Karachi (Pakistan) & Algiers (Algeria)
• HQs of EIU – London, UK | MD – Robin Bew | Founded in – 1946

315. “2025-2026 Best Global Universities” rankings – released by US News & World Report
• Top – China (397 universities) | Followed by – US (280), India (118), Japan (104) & UK (93)
• Top university – Harvard University (US)
- Followed by – MIT (US), Stanford University (US), University of Oxford (UK) & University of Cambridge (UK)

316. ‘World’s Best Airline 2025’ (by Skytrax) – Qatar Airways (for 9th time)
- It also won – ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’ & ‘World’s Best Inflight
Entertainment’
• 2nd – Singapore Airlines (5-time title holder)
- It also won – ‘World’s Best Cabin Crew,’ ‘World’s Best First Class’ & one of ‘Best Airlines in Asia’
• 3rd – Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong) | 4th – Emirates (UAE) | 5th – ANA All Nippon Airways (Japan)
• IndiGo – 39th in World’s Top 100 Airlines for 2025 (from 42nd in 2024) & 3rd in ‘World’s Best Low-Cost
Airline’
• In ‘Skytrax World’s Best Airline in South Asia’ for 2025:
- 1st – IngiGo | 2nd – Air India | 3rd – SriLankan Airlines | 4th – Akasa Air | 5th – SpiceJet
• IngiGo – ranked top for ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in South Asia’ | Air India – 84th in ‘World Top 100 Airlines for
2025’
• In ‘Skytrax Best Regional Airlines in South Asia for 2025’: Top – Air India Express (India)
- Followed by – Maldivian (Maldives), Alliance Air (India), Star Air (India) & US-Bangla Airlines
(Bangladesh)

317. “QS World University Rankings 2026”:

• Top Indian institute – IIT Delhi with 123rd rank (from 150th in 2025)
- Highest ranking ever achieved by an Indian institution in QS World University Ranking
• Followed by – IIT Bombay (129th), IIT Madras (180th), IIT Kharagpur (215th), IISc Bangalore (219th)
• India – 4th most represented country with 54 universities | Top – US (192), UK (90) & China (72) •
Number of Indian universities – grown to 54 in 2026 (from 11 in 2015)
• Representation of Indian institutions:
- 8 – entered rankings for 1st time, highest for any country | 6 – feature in top 250
- 5 – feature in global top 100 for Employer Reputation | 8 – among world’s top 100 for Citations per
Faculty
• Best institute globally – MIT, US (for 14th consecutive year)
- Followed by – Imperial College (UK), Stanford University (US), University of Oxford (UK) & Harvard
University (US)
• HQs of QS – London, UK | CEO – Jessica Turner | Founded in – 1990

318. “World Investment Report 2025” – released by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• India – ranked 15th among world’s top destinations for FDI in 2024, with inflows of $27.6 billion (1.9% y-o-y
decline) - India ranked 16th in 2023 with $28.1 billion in FDI
• Top recipient – US ($279 B) | Followed by – Singapore ($143 B), Hong Kong ($126 B) & China ($116 bn)
• Globally, FDI fell by 11% to $1.5 trillion in 2024, with a 4% headline increase driven by volatile financial
flows
• India – ranked 4th, globally, for surge in greenfield project announcements to 1,080 in 2024
• India – among top five nations in securing international project finance deals at 97
• India – ranked 18th globally in FDI outflows with investments totalling $23.8 billion in 2024
• During 2020-24, developing countries received $531 billion in greenfield digital economy projects -
Largest share received by – India
• Top source – US, contributing 36% of all greenfield projects in digital investments in developing economies
• HQs of UNCTAD – Geneva, Switzerland | Secretary-General – Rebeca Grynspan | Established in – 1964

319. “2025 Energy Energy Transition Index (ETI)” – released by WEF World Economic Forum
- It used 43 indicators & scored countries on a scale of 0 to 100
• In 2025, 77 out of 118 countries (65%) increase in their overall ETI scores | Average gain – 1.1%
• Top 4 – Sweden (77.5), Finland, Denmark & Norway
• India – ranked 71st with score 53.3 (from 63rd in 2024)
• China – topped ‘Emerging Asia’ category & 5th-highest transition readiness score globally
• HQs of WEF – Cologny, Switzerland | Interim Chairman – Peter Brabeck-Letmathe | President & CEO –
Borge Brende | Founded – 1971

320. The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) have
released a report, titled, “Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warning on acute food insecurity - June to October
2025”. The report identified conflict, economic shocks and climate-related hazards as the primary causes of
starvation risks in Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. In Sudan, famine was declared in 2024. Around
7.7 million individuals, accounting for 57% of South Sudan’s population, may experience severe food shortages
(IPC Phase 3 or higher) from April to July 2025. According to the report, around 2,600 individuals in Mali could
face starvation between June and August 2025. In Palestine, Israel’s ongoing military actions and the blockade of
Gaza have resulted in severe food shortages for the entire population of 2.1 million, with nearly 500,000 people
at risk of famine by the end of September. In Haiti, escalating gang violence has displaced thousands, with 8,400
already facing catastrophic hunger. The report highlighted that in 12 of the 13 hotspots, where acute hunger is
estimated to increase, armed conflict remains a major driver. Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Myanmar, and Nigeria as areas of significant concern. Additional hotspots include Burkina Faso, Chad, Somalia,
and Syria. In Nigeria, unfavourable weather conditions are predicted throughout much of the country in 2025,
potentially worsening food security when coupled with increasing violence. Conversely, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are no longer on the Hunger
Hotspots list. Smart Points:
• “Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warning on acute food insecurity - June to October 2025” – released by
FAO & WFP
• Conflict, economic shocks & climate-related hazards – primary causes of starvation risks in Sudan, Palestine,
South Sudan, Haiti & Mali

• Reasons in different countries:

- In Sudan, famine was declared in 2024
- ~2,600 individuals in Mali could face starvation between Jun-Aug 2025
- In Palestine, ~500,000 people are at risk of famine by end of Sep, 2025 – due to Israel’s ongoing military
actions - In Haiti, 8,400 are already facing catastrophic hunger – due to gang violence
• In 12 of 13 hotspots, where acute hunger is estimated to increase, armed conflict remains a major driver
• Yemen, DRC, Myanmar & Nigeria – areas of significant concern
• Additional hotspots include – Burkina Faso, Chad, Somalia & Syria
• Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Zambia & Zimbabwe – no longer on
Hunger Hotspots list

321. “Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0” report, combined for 2022-23 & 2023-24 – released by Ministry of
Education
• It assessed states & UTs across 6 domains:
- Learning outcomes & quality; access; infrastructure & facilities; equity; governance processes; teacher
education
• States & UTs were grouped into different performance bands, ranging from:
- 951-1,000 points (level 1 or ‘daksh’) to 401-460 points (level 10 or ‘akanshi-3′)
• No state or UT made it into top four bands (761-1,000)
• Chandigarh – topped PGI with a score of 703 for 3 consecutive years & placed in 5th band, ‘prachesta-1′ -
Followed by – Punjab (631.1) & Delhi (623.7)
• No state or UT was in ‘prachesta-2′ or 6th band
• 10 states & UTs – in 7th band, with a score range of 581-640
- Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu, Haryana, Goa, MH &
Rajasthan
• 14 states & UTs – in 8th band, with a score range of 521-580
• 10 states & UTs – in 9th band, with a score range of 461-520
• Meghalaya – only state in 10th & lowest grade, with score of 417.9
- Followed by – Arunachal Pradesh (461.4), Mizoram (464.2), Nagaland (468.6) & Bihar (471.9)
• In domain of learning outcomes:
- Chandigarh, Punjab & Puducherry – in 6th band, ‘prachesta-2′ | Haryana & J&K – in 7th band, ‘prachesta-
3′
• In domain of access:
- Odisha – topped by securing highest band, ‘daksh’, with a score range of 941-1,000 o Followed by – 10
other states in 2nd band (Utkarsh - score range of 881-940) - Bihar & Jharkhand – move up to 5th band
(from 6th band)
• In terms of infrastructure:
- Chandigarh – in 3rd band (ati Uttam - score range of 821-880)
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Delhi – in 2nd band (uttam – score range of 761-820)
• In case of equity: All states – within first 3 bands
• PGI – launched in 2017 & revamped as PGI 2.0 in 2021 to align with NEP 2020 & SDGs

322. As per “Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2025”,
• 4 Indian universities – secured a position in top 100 list
- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham – 41st | Lovely Professional University – 48th
- JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research – 56th
- Shoolini University of Biotechnology & Management Sciences – 96th
• Anna University, BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology, KIIT University & Manipal
Academy of
Higher Education – ranked at 101-200
• Nitte (Deemed to be university) – ranked at 201-300
• Top position (globally) – Western Sydney University (Australia - for 4th consecutive year)
- 2nd – University of Manchester (UK) | 3rd – Kyungpook National University (South Korea)
• Most sustainable institution from an emerging economy – Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia), in joint 9th place
• Eight countries made their debut in sustainability rankings this year
- Botswana, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Estonia, Maldives, Namibia, Papua New Guinea & Senegal
• THE Impact Rankings 2025 – ranked 2,526 universities from 130 countries or territories

323. As per government data, India’s coffee exports – surged by 125% over past 11 years, reached $1.8 billion in
2023-24
- From – $800 million in 2014-15 & $1.14 billion in 2022-23
• Top destination for Indian coffee – Europe
• GoI introduced transit & freight assistance, to far-off markets such as US, Canada, Japan & Nordic countries,
offering:
- Rs 3 per kg – for value-added exports | Rs 2 per kg – for high-value green coffee shipments
• Coffee Board offers 40% subsidy on machinery costs, capped at Rs 15 lakh, for roasting, grinding & packaging
units •
• India (7th-largest coffee producer globally with a 3.5% share) – ranks 5th in exports with a 5% global share
- India – produces about 3.6 lakh tonnes of coffee annually | Top growers – Karnataka, Kerala & Tamil
Nadu

324. 10th “Sustainable Development Report (SDR)” – released by United Nations Sustainable Development
Solutions Network • India – 99th on ‘2025 SDG Index’ with a score of 67 (for 1st time, India is in top 100) | India
in 2024 – 109th
• Rank & points of India’s neighbours: o Bhutan – 74th (70.5) | Nepal – 85th (68.6) | Bangladesh – 114th (63.9)
| Pakistan – 140th (57) - Maldives – 53rd | Sri Lanka – 93rd
• Top country (globally) – Finland, followed by Sweden & Denmark | Last rank (193rd) – US (for 2nd year in a
row) • SGDs – adopted in 2015 to save planet
• Top 3 countries most committed to UN multilateralism – Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago
• Highest rank among: G20 nations – Brazil (25th) | OECD nations – Chile (7th)

325. 3rd edition of quarterly insights series ‘Future Front’, “India’s Data Imperative: The Pivot Towards Quality” –
released by NITI Aayog
- Prepared by = NITI Aayog + Gramener
• Fiscal leakage & erroneous or duplicate beneficiary records due to poor quality data drain budgets & inflate
welfare outlays by ~4-7%
• It lays out 3 pathways to improve data quality in India:
- Ensure real-time validation during data entry
- Conduct regular, sample-based data audits
- Use dashboards to track quality & not just outputs
• HQs of NITI Aayog – New Delhi | CEO – BVR Subrahmanyam | Chair – Narendra Modi | VC – Suman K. Bery

326. WEF featured 10 Indian startups among its 2025 cohort of 100 ‘Technology Pioneers’, launched in 2000
- Equal, GalaxEye, Agnikul, CynLr, Dezy, Digantara, Exponent Energy, Freight Tiger, SolarSquare & The ePlane
Co.
• Agnikul, GalaxEye & The ePlane Company – incubated at IIT-Madras
• US – top contributor to community with 29 startups | Europe’s share – surged to 28% (up from 20% in
2024)
• HQs of World Economic Forum WEF – Cologny, Switzerland | Interim Chairman – Peter Brabeck-Letmathe |
President & CEO – Borge Brende | Founded – 1971

327. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) announced that the government is revising
the base year of key economic datasets - Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Index of Industrial Production (IIP), and
Consumer Price Index (CPI). For GDP, the new series is scheduled to be released on February 27, 2026 with FY
2022-23 as the base year. For IIP, 2022-23 has been tentatively identified as the revised base. IIP on revised base
would be released from 2026-27. For CPI, 2024 has been identified as the revised base year. For the new CPI
series, the item basket will be based on data from the National Statistics Office’s (NSO) ‘Household Consumer
Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24’. The new CPI series is expected to be published from the first quarter of
2026. In the new CPI series, dwellings provided by the government or employers will not be covered. To better
capture the true picture of rental and housing prices, rental data from rural areas is being explored. In June 2024,
MoSPI set up a 26-member Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics (ACNAS) to decide the base year
for GDP data, under the chairmanship of Biswanath Goldar. The base year should be normal, i.e., it must not
experience any abnormal incidents such as droughts, floods, earthquakes, pandemic, etc. Also, it should not be
too distant in the past. The upcoming 2026 revision will be the eighth base year update, following seven earlier
revisions - 1948-49 to 1960-61 in August 1967; 1960-61 to 1970-71 in January 1978; 1970-71 to 1980-81 in
February 1988; 1980-81 to 1993-94 in February 1999; 1993-94 to 1999-2000 in January 2006; 1999-2000 to
2004-05 in January 2010; and 2004-05 to 2011-12 on January 30, 2015. The first set of estimates of national
income (GDP) for India was compiled by the ‘National Income Committee’, under the chairmanship of PC
Mahalanobis in 1949.
Smart Points:
• As per MoSPI, government is revising base year of key economic datasets – GDP, IIP & CPI
• New expected base years for:
- GDP – FY 2022-23 | New series – to be released on Feb 27, 2026
- IIP – FY 2022-23 | New series – to be released from 2026-27 - CPI – 2024
• For new CPI series, item basket – to be based on data from NSO’s ‘Household Consumer Expenditure Survey
2023-24’ - New series – to be published from Q1 of 2026
• MoSPI set up a 26-member Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics (ACNAS) in June 2024
- To decide the base year for GDP data | Chairman – Biswanath Goldar
• 2026 revision – to be 8th base year update | Latest previous revision – 2004-05 to 2011-12 (on Jan 30,
2015)
• 1st set of estimates of national income (GDP) for India was compiled by – ‘National Income Committee’ -
Chairman – PC Mahalanobis (in 1949)
• MoS I/C of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation: Rao Inderjit Singh | Constituency – Gurgaon,
Haryana

328. “Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025” report – released by WHO | Developed by – WHO & Bloomberg
Philanthropies
It focuses on 6 proven “WHO MPOWER” tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use
• MPOWER measures are:
- M – monitor tobacco use & prevention policies | P – protect people from tobacco smoke
- O – offer help to quit tobacco | W – warn about dangers of tobacco
- E – enforce bans on tobacco advertising | R – raise taxes on tobacco products
• 110 countries now require these measures (from 9 in 2007) to protect 62% of global population
• 4 countries – achieved full MPOWER package | 7 countries – only one measure away
• 40 countries – still have no MPOWER measure at best-practice level
• Average size of warnings – increased to ~60% in 2024 (from 28% in 2007)
• India – among countries identified as having best-practice-level graphic health warning labels in 2024
• On ‘W’ measure, India – in highest group since 2016
• On ‘E’ measure, India – banned direct & indirect tobacco advertising, promotion & sponsorships
• Tobacco tax – least adopted MPOWER measure in India
• World Conference on Tobacco Control – held in Dublin, Ireland (on Jun 23, 2025)
- National Tobacco Control Cell (MoHFW) – presented with “2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for
Global Tobacco Control” award
- India – presented with ‘O’ category award for promoting tobacco cessation
• Other countries that received this award – Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Philippines & Ukraine
• India became 1st country to apply tobacco control regulations specifically to digital streaming content in May
2023
• India – world’s 2nd-largest producer & consumer of unmanufactured tobacco | Production volume –
~770,000 tonnes

329. As per “Brand Finance’s 2025 Rankings”:

• India’s most valuable brand – Tata Group (brand value up 10% to $31.6 billion)
- It became 1st Indian brand to cross $30 billion threshold
• 2nd – Infosys (brand value up 15% to $16.3 billion) | 3rd – HDFC Group (brand value up 37% to $14.2 billion)
• India’s top 10 most valuable brands in 2025 – collectively registered growth in brand value to $236.5 billion
• Adani Group – fastest-growing Indian brand in this year’s rankings, with brand value soaring 82%
• India’s strongest brand – Taj Hotels, with a BSI score of 92.2/100 & coveted AAA+ rating for 4th year in a row
- 2nd – Asian Paints, with a BSI score of 92/100 & an AAA+ brand strength rating
- 3rd – Amul, with a BSI score of 91.2/100 & an AAA+ brand strength rating
• Asian Paints – strongest paints & coatings brand ranked globally
• Tata Group – recorded highest Sustainability Perceptions Value (SPV) at $4.3 billion among Indian ranked
brands
• Infosys – largest positive sustainability gap at $115 million
• Zomato (brand value at $1 billion & ranked 39th) – made its debut in ‘Brand Finance India 100 2025’ rankings
• Persistent Systems (48th) – highest brand value growth among Indian IT Services ranked brands
- Birlasoft (brand value at $164 million) – ranked 16th among brands in sector (new entrant)
• HMEL – ranked 49th with a brand value of $656 million | Zetwerk – ranked 2nd in its sector
 Amount & Agreements
330. ADB – to provide up to $4.5 billion sovereign lending to India each year
- alongside about $1 billion in private sector financing
ADB agreed to move quickly on large, high-impact projects, such as the bank’s support for solar rooftops, which
can accelerate clean energy adoption across the country. During the meeting, Sitharaman had urged for deeper
ADB support for integrated rural prosperity measures, including creation of jobs and local entrepreneurship, and
fostering innovation in agriculture, to transform villages into resilient communities.
• During the meeting, Sitharaman had urged for deeper ADB support for integrated rural prosperity measures
• HQs of ADB – Mandaluyong, Philippines | President – Masato Kanda | Members – 69

331. Adani Airports Holdings – raised $750 million through External Commercial Borrowings ECBs from a
consortium of international banks
- Consortium was led by – First Abu Dhabi Bank, Barclays PLC & Standard Chartered Bank
• Funds will be used to refinance existing debt, invest in infrastructure upgrades & expand capacity at 6
airports
- Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati & Thiruvananthapuram
• Adani Airports Holdings – served 94 million passengers in FY25
- Its total handling capacity currently – 110 million passengers
• HQs of AAHL – Ahmedabad, Gujarat | CEO – Arun Bansal
• HQs of Adani Enterprises – Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Chairman – Gautam Adani | MD – Rajesh Adani

332. Serentica Renewables – secured $100 million in debt financing from global financial institutions, Rabobank
& Societe Generale
- To support development of a 300 MW solar power project in Rajasthan
• It is designed to supply green energy to Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO), a subsidiary of Vedanta
Group
• Serentica Renewables achieved 1,000 MW of renewable energy capacity, with ongoing projects across
multiple states
• HQs of Serentica Renewables – Gurugram, Haryana | Chairman – Pratik Agarwal

333. ADB approved a $109.97 million results-based loan to support Gujarat for becoming a global industrial hub
• ‘Gujarat Skills Development Programme’ led by = state’s Labour, Skill Development & Employment Dept +
Kaushalya:
The Skill University (KSU)
- Aim: To equip its workforce with industry-aligned, advanced skills that boost job readiness in high-
growth sectors
• Focusing on 7 high-priority industries, this programme will implement a range of interventions
- logistics, automotive, manufacturing, information technology, renewable energy, healthcare & agri-tech
• HQs of ADB – Mandaluyong, Philippines | President – Masato Kanda | Members – 69
• Gujarat: Capital – Gandhinagar | CM – Bhupendra Patel | Governor – Acharya Dev Vrat

334. NABARD – plans to lend about ₹10,000 Cr this year as part of its Green Lending Facility
• Minimum loan amount disbursed would be ₹100 Cr
• These are for projects such as ethanol plants and electric vehicles
• Deputy Managing Director Ajay Kumar Sood
• HQs of NABARD – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Chairman – Shaji K. V. | Founded in – 1982

335. NTPC – signed a Facility Agreement for the $750 million unsecured External Commercial Borrowing ECB
loan (Tenor - 10 yrs | Average maturity - 7 yrs)
• Mandated Lead Arranger and Underwriter for the $500 million portion – Bank of Baroda
• Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner for the greenshoe portion of $250 million – HDFC Bank
• Both banks executed the transaction through their IFSC Banking Units (IBUs) in GIFT City, Gandhinagar
• HQs of NTPC – New Delhi | CMD – Gurdeep Singh | Founded in – 1975

336. World Bank – sanctioned $426 million for “Karnataka Water Security and Resilience Program”
- To enhance water security for over 4 million residents in Bengaluru | To be provided by
– IBRD - Repayment period – 20 years | Grace window – 5 years
• This funding will support Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB) by replacing ageing pipes,
introducing smart water meters & mobilising $5 million in private investment
• HQs of World Bank – Washington D.C., US | President – Ajay Banga | MD/CFO – Anshula Kant | Members –
189
337. Adani Airports Holdings Ltd AAHL – secured $1 billion financing through a project finance structure for its
Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL)
- There is also a provision to raise – additional $250 million, resulting in total financing of $1 billion
• It is India’s first investment-grade (IG) rated private bond issuance in airport infrastructure sector
• Transaction was led by – Apollo-managed funds
• HQs of AAHL – Ahmedabad, Gujarat | CEO – Arun Bansal
• HQs of Adani Enterprises – Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Chairman – Gautam Adani | MD – Rajesh Adani
 MoUs, Collaborations & Partnerships
338. BoB + TN = an MoU to offer a customised salary account package for employees of the State Govt
• Complimentary insurance benefits:
- Personal Accident Insurance (max coverage of Rs 1.55 Cr)
- Term Life Insurance coverage of Rs 15 lakh
- Permanent Total Disability Cover of up to Rs 1 Cr
- Hospicash Facility of Rs 2,000 per day for daily hospitalisation
• HQs of Bank of Baroda BoB – Vadodara, Gujarat | MD & CEO – Debadatta Chand | Tagline – “India’s
International Bank”

339. IndiGo + Delta Air Lines (US) + Air France-KLM + Virgin Atlantic (UK) = partnered to enhance air
connectivity from India to Europe as well as North America
• IndiGo – set to start flights to 10 overseas cities in FY26 & to become a global airline by 2030
• IndiGo – in partnership with Air France-KLM & Virgin Atlantic since 2022
• HQs of IndiGo – Gurugram, Haryana | CEO – Pieter Elbers | Chairman – Vikram Singh Mehta

340. Real Time Governance Society RTGS (Andhra) + SHAR (ISRO Satish Dhawan Space Centre) = MoU for
leveraging space technologies to facilitate real-time citizen-centric governance
• It would enhance RTGS’s “AWARE” platform with satellite imagery & scientific inputs across 42+ applications
- AWARE – AP Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Research Centre
• Andhra Pradesh: Capital – Amaravati | CM – N Chandra Babu Naidu | Governor – Syed Abdul Nazeer

341. Telangana (India) + Kitakyushu City (Japan) = a cooperative agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral
relations and promoting inclusive economic growth, zero-emission initiatives and urban innovation
• Telangana: Capital – Hyderabad | CM – A. Revanth Reddy | Governor – Jishnu Dev Varma •
Japan – Tokyo – Yen | PM – Shigeru Ishiba

342. 81st Annual General Meeting of International Air Transport Association (IATA) – held in New Delhi
• Air India + Icelandair = signed a new codeshare agreement to improve connectivity between India & Iceland
- It will allow passengers to travel more easily across 15 routes in India & Europe
• Air India customers can now book flights to Reykjavik, Iceland, using Icelandair services via major European
hubs
- These hubs include London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan &
Zurich
• HQs of Air India – New Delhi | MD & CEO – Campbell Wilson (subsidiary of Tata Group)
• HQs of IATA – Montreal, Canada | DG – Willie Walsh
• Iceland – Reykjavik – Krona | President – Halla Tomasdottir | PM – Kristrun Frostadottir
343. Amul + COVAP (Spain) = partnered to introduce Amul’s flagship milk product in Spain & EU
- This is 1st time that Amul’s milk is being launched in Europe
• It will begin in Madrid & Barcelona, followed by other cities including Malaga, Valencia, Cordoba & Lisbon in
Portugal
• HQs of AMUL/GCMMF Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation – Anand, Gujarat | MD – Jayen Mehta
(interim) | Chairman – Shamalbhai B. Patel • Spain – Madrid – Euro | PM – Pedro Sanchez

344. TCS + Virgin Atlantic = 7-year extended partnership to modernise airline’s core systems
• HQs of TCS – Mumbai, Maharashtra | CEO – K. Krithivasan | Founded in – 1968
• HQs of Virgin Atlantic British airline – Crawley, UK | President – Richard Branson

345. France + MP = an MoU for 3 years to foster extensive collaboration in cultural & tourism domains
• Aim: To establish MP as a centre for Indo-French cultural & tourism partnerships
• Madhya Pradesh: Capital – Bhopal | CM – Mohan Yadav | Governor – Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel
• France – Paris – Euro | President – Emmanuel Macron | PM – Francois Bayrou

346. Conference on Global South & Triangular Cooperation – held in New Delhi
- Organised by = MEA + RIS + FIDC + DAKSHIN - Global South Centre of Excellence
Ministry of External Affairs, RIS, Forum for Indian Development and Cooperation (FIDC), and DAKSHIN -
Global South Centre of Excellence
• Pondicherry University + RIS = an MoU to strengthen academic-policy linkages
• RIS had chosen 21 Universities in continuation of its collaboration with Universities under the ‘University
Connect Hub’

347. CRCL + CBIC + IIT Delhi = an MoU for trade facilitation and improving the ease of doing business
• CRCL serves as the apex scientific institution under CBIC Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs,
heading a network of 12 Revenue Laboratories across India
• Director of IIT Delhi – Prof. Rangan Banerjee
• Location of Central Revenues Control Laboratory CRCL – New Delhi | Director – V. Suresh

348. Bihar + AAI = an MoU for developing 6 small airports under ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)’ scheme in
Bihar
- Madhubani, Birpur (Supaul), Munger, Valmikinagar (West Champaran), Muzaffarpur & Saharsa
- Initial allotment – Rs 25 Cr (each for 6 airports)
• Cabinet also reduced rate of VAT to 4% on Aviation Turbine Fuel (from 29%)
• PM Modi inaugurated Patna airport’s new terminal in May 2025 to boost tourism & handle 1 crore
passengers annually - Built at cost of – Rs 1,200 Cr
• PM Modi laid foundation for civil enclave at Bihta Airport in May 2025 | Outlay – Rs 1,410 Cr
• Cabinet also approved extension of contract period for FY26 for 1,717 Special Auxiliary Police (SAP)
personnel
• Cabinet approved transfer of 70.5 acres of land to Industries department, Bihar for development of an
industrial area - Land is in – Amnour circle of Saran district
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Arif Mohammed Khan
• HQs of the Airports Authority of India AAI – New Delhi | Chairman – Vipin Kumar

349. Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar & Odisha – signed agreements to enable seamless digital access to credit services
through farmer registry-linked authentication
• Allocation for this initiative (under ‘Agri Stack platform’) – Rs 6,000 Cr
- Of total allocation: Rs 4,000 Cr – for farmer registry systems | Rs 2,000 Cr – to support digital crop surveys
• Special Central Assistance guidelines – launched jointly by secretaries of agriculture & land resources
departments
• Maharashtra: Capital – Mumbai | CM – Devendra Fadnavis | Governor – CP Radhakrishnan
• Kerala: Capital – Thiruvananthapuram | CM – Pinarayi Vijayan | Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
• Bihar: Capital – Patna | CM – Nitish Kumar | Governor – Arif Mohammed Khan
• Odisha: Capital – Bhubaneswar | CM – Mohan Charan Majhi | Governor – Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati

350. World Bank + IAEA (UN) = an MoU to advance safe development & financing of nuclear power in developing
countries
• Aim: To strengthen World Bank’s understanding of nuclear safety, security, energy planning & waste
management
• HQs of World Bank – Washington D.C., US | President – Ajay Banga | MD/CFO – Anshula Kant | Members –
189
• HQs of IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency – Vienna, Austria | Director General – Rafael Mariano
Grossi | Founded in – 1957

 Important Obituaries in June 2025:

 Sunjoy Monga (‘BirdMan’) – a Renowned Indian Naturalist, Wildlife Photographer & Conservationist
(In 2005, he founded the Mumbai Bird Race, titled ‘WINGS - Birds of India’.)
 Edgar Chagwa Lungu – Former President of Zambia
 Vijay Rupani – Former Chief Minister of Gujarat (2016-21)
(He is the 2nd politician who served as the Gujarat CM who died in an air accident, 60 years after
Balwantrai Mehta died in a 1965 plane crash.)
 Maruti Chitampalli – a Renowned Environmentalist
(Padma Shri in 2025, Vinda Karandikar Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar in 2017)
  Frederick W. Smith (US) – Founder & Chairman of FedEx Corp
(He launched Federal Express in 1973 with 14 Dassault Falcon jets.) ➢

o Jose Mujica – Former President of Uruguay

(He is also known as "World's Poorest President")

Important One-liner Meetings, Conferences & Summits in June 2025:

• High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation – Dushanbe, Tajikistan
• National Ayush Mission (NAM) Conclave 2025 – Lonavala, Maharashtra
• Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2025 – Geneva, Switzerland
(Theme - “Every Day Counts: Act for Resilience Today”)
• International IDEA International Conference 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden
• 4th edition of UN Ocean Conference 2028 – China & South Korea
• National Conference of Estimates Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislative Bodies – Mumbai,
Maharashtra
• Trade Conclave 2025 (by EXIM Bank) – New Delhi
(Theme - “Building Export-led Growth for Viksit Bharat”)
• ‘Vruthi 2025 - The Clean Kerala Conclave’ – Thiruvananthapuram

Important Books & Authors

“PMO: Prime Minister’s Office Through the Years” Himanshu Roy
“Revolution in Banking: Wheels of India’s Growth Story” Nirmal Bansal & Suneel Gupta
“Kashmir Insurgency: Deconstructing the State Response - Revisiting Colonel Yoginder Kandhari
1989-90” (Retd.)
“India: 5000 Years of History on the Subcontinent” Audrey Truschke
“Modi’s Niti Shastra” Adish C Aggarwala
Jacinda Ardern (Former New
“A Different Kind of Power” memoir
Zealand PM)
“The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife: A Very Unusual Memoir” Puja Pujara
Varalaru Koorum Tamil Nattu Kaasugal (Coins that Speak Tamil Nadu Thangam Thennarasu
History)”
“History That India Ignored” Prem Prakash
“The School of Life” memoir K. Vasuki
“Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous
Jake Tapper & Alex Thompson
Choice to Run Again”
“The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader”
Amit Shah (released)
(Published by - BlueKraft Digital Foundation)
“The One: Cricket, My Life and More” memoir
Shikhar Dhawan
(Published by - HarperCollins India)
“A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory” Jagadish Shukla
“Celebrating V. V. Kumar @90” Partab Ramchand
 Important Days
World Milk Day
June 1 (Theme - “Let’s Celebrate the Power of Dairy”)
Global Day of Parents
June 2 50th International Sex Workers’ Day (since 1975)
June 4 UN International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
UN World Environment Day (2025 host - South Korea)
June 5
(Theme - “Beat Plastic Pollution”)

UN 8th International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported, & Unregulated Fishing (by
FAO)
(since 2018)
World Day Against Speciesism
17th edition of International Level Crossing Awareness Day
UN Russian Language Day
(The day marks 226th birth anniversary of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, a renowned Russian
June 6 poet)
World Pest Day
(Theme - “Guardians of Health: Professional Pest Management for a Safer World”)
World Food Safety Day
June 7
(Theme - “Food Safety: Science in Action”)
World Oceans Day
(Theme - “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us”)
June 8
World Brain Tumor Day (Official symbol - Grey Ribbon)
(Theme - “Brain Health for All Ages”)
June 9- International Archives Week
13 (Theme - “#ArchivesAreAccessible -Archives for Everyone”)
World Accreditation Day
June 9 (Theme - “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises”)
International Archives Day
June 10 1st UN International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations
2nd UN International Day of Play
June 11
(Theme - “Choose Play - Every Day”)
June 12 World Day Against Child Labour
11th International Albinism Awareness Day
(Theme - “Demanding Our Rights: Protecting Our Skin, Preserving Our Lives”)
(Albinism - a rare, non-contagious, inherited genetic condition present at birth)

June 13

World Blood Donor Day

June 14
(Theme - “Give Blood, Give Hope: Together We Save Lives”)
UN World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 15 (Theme - “Addressing Abuse of Older Adults in Long Term Care Facilities: Through Data and
Action”)
 Global Wind Day
(Theme - “Day of Community Action”)
ASEAN Dengue Day (since 2011)
(Theme - “Towards Zero Dengue Deaths: Science, Strategy, and Solidarity”)
10th International Day of Family Remittances (2008)
June 16
(Theme - “Remittances Financing Development”)
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
(Theme - “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities.”)
June 17
World Crocodile Day (since 2017)
(Theme - “Connecting Crocodiles and Communities”)
Sustainable Gastronomy Day (since 2017)
World Autistic Pride Day (since 2005)
June 18
(Theme - “Unapologetically Autistic”)
International Picnic Day
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
June 19 World Sickle Cell Day (since 2009)
(Theme - “Global Action, Local Impact: Empowering Communities for Effective Self-Advocacy”)
30th National Reading Day
(The day commemorates the contributions of PN Panicker, widely known as the 'Father of the
Library and Literacy Movement in Kerala')
World Refugee Day
June 20
(Theme - “Solidarity with Refugees”)
11th UN International Day of Yoga (since 2015)
(Theme - “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”)
World Hydrography Day (since 2006)
June 21 (Theme - “Seabed Mapping: Enabling Ocean Action”)
International Day of the Celebration of Solstice
World Music Day
(Theme - “Healing Through Harmony”)
June 23- Deafblind Awareness Week
29 (Theme - “Cultivating Leadership: Together, We Grow.”)
Public Service Day
(Theme - “Five Years to 2030: Accelerating Public Service Delivery for a Sustainable Future”)
June 23 International Widows Day
International Olympic Day
(Theme - “Let’s Move?”)
3rd International Day of Women in Diplomacy (since 2023)
June 24 (Theme - “Eliminating Structural Barriers to Women’s Leadership in Diplomacy”)
13th Passport Seva Divas (since 2013)
Day of the Seafarer
(Theme - “My Harassment-Free Ship”)

Samvidhan Hatya Divas (Constitution Murder Day)

June 25
World Vitiligo Day
(Vitiligo - a skin condition characterized by the loss of skin pigmentation, resulting in white
patches on the skin)
50th Anniversary of Emergency (declared on June 25, 1975, by then PM Indira Gandhi)
 World Refrigeration Day
(Theme - “Cool Skills”)
June 26 28th International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or World Drug Day
(Theme - “Break the Cycle. #StopOrganizedCrime”)
World MSME Day
June 27 (Theme - “Enhancing the Role of MSMEs as Drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation”)
UN’s 1st International Day of Deafblindness
June 28 National Insurance Awareness Day
19th National Statistics Day
(birth anniversary of Prof. PC Mahalanobis, a pioneer in the field of Statistics & Economic
June 29
Planning)
International Day of the Tropics
International Asteroid Day
June 30 International Day of Parliamentarism or World Parliament Day
(Theme - “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action”)