July 2'nd Week
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National News
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India’s First E-Waste Recycling Park
• To Rise in Delhi’s Holambi Kalan
• Delhi to host India’s first e-waste recycling park in Holambi Kalan, aiming to process 51,000 tonnes of e-waste annually. The eco park will promote green jobs, circular economy, and formalize the recycling sector.
• The e-waste eco park will span 11.4 acres and is part of a broader national plan, being one of four such facilities proposed across India. It will be developed under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model through a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
Leopard Capital
• Bengaluru has officially become the ‘Leopard Capital’ of India, surpassing Mumbai in terms of the highest number of free-ranging wild leopards living on the fringes of a major metropolis.
• According to a year-long survey conducted by the Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF) and led by conservationist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi.
• Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) has seen a steady rise in leopard numbers, and several key forest areas have been proposed for conservation reserve status.
Aadhaar OTP Must for Tatkal Bookings
• In a major move to curb malpractices and ensure fair access to Tatkal tickets, the Ministry of Railways has announced that Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will be mandatory for booking Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website and mobile app starting July 15, 2025.
• Similar OTP-based authentication will apply at Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters.
India’s First Underwater Museum
• India is set to develop its first underwater museum and artificial coral reef around the decommissioned warship INS Guldar near Nivati Rocks, located off the coast of Vengurla in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra.
• The project, supported by the Union Tourism Ministry with an outlay of ₹46.91 crore, aims to promote marine biodiversity conservation, eco-tourism, and underwater adventure tourism like scuba diving and submarine tours.
• On June 11, 2025, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis virtually attended the launch of India’s first underwater museum project.
• The decommissioned INS Guldar, which served the Indian Navy until January 2024, has been handed over to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to transform it into a submerged attraction.
International News
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Poson Poya
• Sri Lanka is observing the sacred Poson Poya festival, which commemorates the arrival of Buddhism on the island nation over 2,000 years ago.
• Celebrated on the full moon day in June, this festival marks the momentous occasion when Arahat Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka of India, preached the first sermon to King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintal.
Operation Rising Lion
• In a major escalation of regional conflict, Israel has launched the second wave of strikes under its ongoing Operation Rising Lion, with Iranian state media confirming a blast at the Natanz uranium enrichment site.
Appointments News
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TCL India Renews Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassador
• TCL India, a leading consumer electronics brand, officially announced the renewal of its partnership with Indian cricket icon Rohit Sharma as its brand ambassador for the second consecutive year.
T Rabi Sankar
• President of India has appointed T Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as a part-time member of the 16th Finance Commission.
• His appointment fills the vacancy left by Ajay Narayan Jha, who stepped down due to personal reasons. Sankar’s tenure will continue until the submission of the commission’s report or until October 31, 2025,
• Commission prepares its fiscal recommendations for the 2026-2031 period
Finance Commission:
• Constitutional Body: Formed under Article 280 of the Constitution of India
• Mandate: To recommend how revenues should be shared between the Centre and States
• 16th Finance Commission Head: Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog
• Date of Constitution: December 31, 2023
• Report Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025
• Applicable Period: April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2031
Sat Pal Bhanoo
• The Government of India has appointed Sat Pal Bhanoo, currently Managing Director at Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), as the interim CEO and Managing Director of the corporation.
• This decision follows the completion of the tenure of Siddhartha Mohanty, who served as the previous CEO & MD. Bhanoo will assume this key leadership role for a period of three months beginning June 08, 2025, or until a permanent successor is appointed, whichever occurs earlier.
Sports News
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Portugal Crowned Nations League Champions
• Final at Munich’s Allianz Arena on June 8, 2025, Portugal secured their second UEFA Nations League title after edging out Spain 5-3 in a penalty shootout, following a dramatic 2-2 draw in regulation and extra time.
• Ruben Neves sealed the win with a decisive spot-kick after Alvaro Morata’s miss.
• It marks Portugal’s second Nations League title, making them the first team to win the tournament twice since its inception in 2018.
UEFA Nations League:
• Launched: 2018 by UEFA to replace international friendlies with competitive matches.
• Previous Winners – 2019 – Portugal, 2021 – France, 2023 – Spain
Carlos Alcaraz
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• In an extraordinary display of resilience and skill, Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the longest-ever French Open final, lasting five hours and 29 minutes.
• Trailing by two sets and facing three match points, the Spanish star staged one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history to win 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2).
• This victory marks Alcaraz’s second consecutive French Open title and his fifth Grand Slam win overall, solidifying his status as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.
• Carlos Alcaraz, aged 22, had previously won the French Open in 2024 and the Wimbledon 2023 final after trailing in sets, proving his mettle in high-pressure situations.
Winners At Roland Garros 2025 (French Open): –
| Category | Winner | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Men's singles | Cartos Alcaraz (fipain) | Jannik Sinner Sinner (Italy) |
| Women's Singles | Coco Gault (USA) | Aryna Babalenka (Belarus) |
| Women Doubles Tine | Paolini and Sara Erani (Italy) | Anna Danitha and Aleksandra Krunic |
| Men Doubles Final | Marcel Granollers and Horac Zeballos (Spain & Argentina) | Joe Salisbury and Neal Słupsk (ntain) |
Aravindh Chithambaram
• Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has won the 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial chess tournament held in Jermuk, Armenia.
• He scored 6.5 points in 9 rounds. Although he tied with fellow Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh was declared the winner based on the tiebreak system.
MS Dhoni
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni, former India captain and one of the most iconic cricketers of his generation, was officially inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame during a prestigious event held in London.
• With this honour, Dhoni becomes the 11th Indian cricketer, and the ninth Indian male player, to be recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his extraordinary contributions to the game.
Hall of Fame 2025: A Star-Studded Class
• Matthew Hayden (Australia)
• Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
• Hashim Amla (South Africa)
• Graeme Smith (South Africa)
• Sana Mir (Pakistan)
• Sarah Taylor (England)
World Test Championship
• South Africa Clinches Maiden ICC World Test Championship 2025 Title at Lord’s.
• Proteas claimed their first-ever ICC trophy by defeating defending champions Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.
• Aiden Markram has been awarded with the player of the match for his 4th inning century.
| Cycle | Winner | Runner-Up | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2021 | New Zealand | India | Won by 8 wickets | Rose Bowl, Southampton |
| 2021–2023 | Australia | India | Won by 209 runs | The Oval, London |
| 2023–2025 | South Africa | Australia | Won by 5 wickets | Lord's, London |
Awards
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National e-Governance Awards 2025
• Rohini Gram Panchayat in Shirpur taluka, Dhule district, Maharashtra, has won the Gold Award in the National e-Governance Awards 2025.
• Despite being a 100% tribal village, Rohini has emerged as a national model for technology-driven rural governance.
• The Gram Panchayat was selected from over 1.45 lakh entries across India in the Grassroots Level Initiatives category and will receive the award at the 28th National e-Governance Conference in Visakhapatnam on June 9, 2025.
• The award is presented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
IMP Day
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World Day Against Child Labour 2025
• June 12, 2025, marks the 21st anniversary of World Day Against Child Labour, first initiated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002.
• The 2025 theme emphasizes that while progress has been made, intensified global action is essential to end child labour.
• Theme for 2025 – “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up our efforts!”
125th Death Anniversary of Birsa Munda
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• Birsa Munda Punyatithi is observed every year on June 9 to remember and honour Birsa Munda, one of India’s greatest tribal freedom fighters and social reformers.
• Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in a small village called Ulihatu, in present-day Jharkhand. He belonged to the Munda tribe, one of the many tribal communities in India.
Ulgulan (Rebellion) Movement
• Birsa Munda is best known for leading the Ulgulan, which means ”The Great Tumult” or rebellion, in the late 1800s. Through this movement, he demanded tribal autonomy – meaning that tribal people should govern themselves and keep control over their land and forests.
• Birsa Munda died at a very young age. He was only 25 years old when he passed away on June 9, 1900, while in Ranchi Jail.
Prelims Practice Questions
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Q1. With reference to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, consider the following statements:
Once an animal is declared vermin, it loses all legal protection under the Act.
The declaration of vermin status can be made by a State Government without any approval from the Central Government.
The status of vermin is permanent and applies nationwide.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) None of the above
Q2) Consider the following statements about the National e-Governance Awards 2025:
The awards are jointly presented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Rohini Gram Panchayat in Maharashtra received the Gold Award under the Grassroots Level Initiatives category.
The award aims to promote innovation and excellence in digital governance at all levels of administration.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) All of the above
Q3) Consider the following statements about the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS):
It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways.
It is responsible for granting final clearance before any new railway line is opened to the public.
The CRS is governed by the provisions of the Railways Act, 1989.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) All of the above
Q4) With reference to DIGIPIN, recently launched in India, consider the following statements:
It assigns a unique 10-character alphanumeric code to every 10m x 10m grid across India.
It is developed jointly by the Department of Posts, IIT Hyderabad, and National Remote Sensing Centre (ISRO).
DIGIPIN operates only with active internet access.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) All of the above
Q5) Consider the following statements regarding Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) trends in India for 2024–25:
India witnessed a rise in gross FDI inflows but a significant fall in net FDI inflows.
The services sector attracted the highest share of total FDI inflows.
India’s net outward FDI showed a declining trend over the previous year.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3