Daily Current Affairs Update – 12 June 2025

1. Blue NDC Challenge (Brazil and France)

Context: Launched ahead of COP30, the initiative urges the inclusion of ocean-related measures in countries’ climate action plans.

Detailed Notes:

• Objective: To integrate ocean protection and resilience into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
  
  
• Support: Backed by the Ocean Conservancy, Ocean & Climate Platform, and World Resources Institute via the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA).
  
  
• Importance of Oceans:
  
  
  • Absorb ~30% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions — crucial for climate mitigation.
    
    
  • Store ~90% of excess heat caused by greenhouse gases — regulating global temperatures.
    
    
  • Provide renewable energy (offshore wind could meet over 1/3 of electricity needs).
    
    
  • Coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrasses act as “blue carbon sinks” — absorbing carbon up to four times more than forests.
    
    
• Global Efforts:
  
  
  • Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) restrict activities to conserve biodiversity.
    
    
  • UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030) aims to reverse ocean degradation.
    
    
• Indian Initiatives:
  
  
  • MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) promotes mangrove plantation.
    
    
  • Deep Ocean Mission enhances exploration, biodiversity studies, and resource mapping.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: Environment, GS Paper III (Climate change mitigation strategies), International agreements.

2. UNFPA State of World Population Report 2025

Context: The report challenges the mainstream narrative on population crisis and focuses on reproductive rights and demographic diversity.

Detailed Notes:

• Key Message: The world’s concern should shift from falling fertility to unmet reproductive intentions — the “real fertility crisis.”
  
  
• India’s Fertility Spectrum:
  
  
  • Some states (Bihar, UP, Jharkhand) still have above-replacement fertility.
    
    
  • Others (Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) are already below-replacement level (<2.1).
    
    
• Barriers to Reproductive Choice:
  
  
  • 40% cite financial insecurity as a reason for not having more children.
    
    
  • Others face structural barriers like job instability (21%), lack of housing (22%), and poor childcare support (18%).
    
    
  • Societal pressures from family or partners to limit family size affect ~19%.
    
    
  • Rising fears over climate change, political unrest, loneliness, and changing gender roles influence reproductive choices.
    
    
• India’s Demographic Transition:
  
  
  • Fertility rate has dropped from 5 (1970) to 2 (2025) due to improvements in healthcare and education.
    
    
  • However, disparities remain across caste, income, and regional lines.
    
    
• UNFPA Recommendations:
  
  
  • Universal access to SRH services: contraception, abortion, infertility treatment.
    
    
  • Eliminate structural barriers: better childcare, education, housing.
    
    
  • Inclusivity: Address needs of LGBTQIA+, unmarried, and rural/marginalized populations.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: Society (GS I), Health and Demographics (GS II), Ethics (Diversity and Equity in Population Policy).

3. Smart Cities Mission & SPVs Beyond 2025

Context: With SCM concluding in March 2025, SPVs will continue as vehicles for urban transformation.

Detailed Notes:

• Smart Cities Mission (SCM): Launched in 2015 to promote sustainable, inclusive urban growth through 100 model cities.
  
  
• Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs):
  
  
  • Incorporated as companies under the Companies Act, 2013.
    
    
  • Owned 50:50 by the respective State/UT Government and Urban Local Bodies.
    
    
  • Board includes CEO, Central & State representatives.
    
    
• Achievements:
  
  
  • Over 8,000 projects initiated.
    
    
  • 93% project completion rate; ~₹48,000 crore budget nearly fully utilized.
    
    
• Post-SCM Role of SPVs:
  
  
  • Technology support: Cyber hygiene, urban data systems.
    
    
  • Project implementation: Continue urban infrastructure work; allowed to charge 1.5–3% implementation fee.
    
    
  • Research & Evidence: Conduct urban planning assessments.
    
    
  • Investment Facilitation: Promote local economic development via inter-departmental coordination.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: Urban development (GS II), Governance reforms (GS II), Infrastructure (GS III).

4. Flood Management and Role of Space Technology

Context: Pre-monsoon review by the Home Ministry emphasizes advanced tech and sustainable measures.

Detailed Notes:

• Flood Control in India:
  
  
  • Constitutionally under State jurisdiction (Entry 17, State List).
    
    
• Structural Measures:
  
  
  • Reservoirs: Store floodwater (e.g., DVC in Damodar Basin).
    
    
  • Embankments: 37,000+ km built under FMP in flood-prone states.
    
    
  • Wetlands/Detention Basins: Use natural depressions (e.g., Mokama Tal, Bihar).
    
    
• Non-Structural Measures:
  
  
  • Flood Zoning: Restricts infrastructure in vulnerable areas.
    
    
  • Forecasting Systems: Now extended from 3 to 7 days by CWC.
    
    
• Space Tech Interventions:
  
  
  • ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre: Real-time inundation maps (Kerala 2018, Assam 2022).
    
    
  • National Hydrology Project (NHP): Early warning system integration.
    
    
  • Flood Hazard Atlases: State-specific (e.g., Bihar, Assam).
    
    
  • SATCOM: Maintains communication during disasters.
    
    
  • Web Platforms: e.g., Bhuvan by NRSC for flood data sharing with NDMA.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: Disaster Management (GS III), Technology in Governance (GS III), Geography (Mains & Prelims).

5. Etalin Hydropower Project: Conservation vs Development

Context: In-principle approval given despite being located in a high conservation value area.

Detailed Notes:

• Location: Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh — part of Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.
  
  
• Capacity: 3,097 MW — would be among India’s largest hydro projects.
  
  
• Environmental Impact:
  
  
  • Involves felling 2.7 lakh trees.
    
    
  • 1,100 hectares of unclassified forest land diverted.
    
    
  • Threat to 6 globally threatened mammal species and 3 restricted-range bird species.
    
    
• Social Concerns:
  
  
  • Indigenous tribes like Adi and Idu Mishmi fear displacement and cultural erosion.
    
    
• Ethical Dimension: Development vs ecological justice.
  
  

UPSC Relevance: Environment & Ecology (GS III), Ethics (Development vs Sustainability), Geography.

6. Crisis in the Microfinance Sector

Context: RBI reports a 13.9% year-on-year fall in the Gross Loan Portfolio (GLP) of microfinance institutions (MFIs), indicating rising borrower stress and systemic inefficiencies.

Detailed Notes:

• What is Microfinance?
  
  
  • Provision of small-scale financial services (loans, insurance, savings) to low-income individuals who lack access to formal banking.
    
    
• Current Challenges:
  
  
  • High Interest Rates: MFIs charge 12–30% due to operational costs, compared to banks’ 8–12%.
    
    
  • High Operational Cost: Serving remote areas with small loans incurs fixed high costs.
    
    
  • Urban Exclusion: MFIs overwhelmingly serve rural populations; urban poor are neglected (~800 MFIs cater to urban areas).
    
    
  • Loan Defaults: Lack of collateral and weak risk assessment lead to high non-repayment rates (70% of payments are delayed).
    
    
  • Over-dependence on Banks: 80% of funds come from banks, creating a vulnerability to financial market volatility.
    
    
  • Limited Product Diversification: Most MFIs only offer credit, neglecting savings, remittances, or insurance.
    
    
• Government Interventions:
  
  
  • SIDBI Micro Finance Scheme: Supports MFIs with equity and finance.
    
    
  • SHG–Bank Linkage Programme (1992): Encourages collective credit through self-help groups, especially in rural areas.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS III (Economy – Financial Inclusion, Informal Sector), GS II (Welfare Schemes).

7. Hodeidah Port Attack & SARAT by INCOIS

Context: Hodeidah Port in Yemen was attacked by Israel, disrupting humanitarian supply chains. Simultaneously, India activated SARAT after a ship fire off the Kerala coast.

Detailed Notes:

• Hodeidah Port:
  
  
  • Located on the Red Sea coast in western Yemen.
    
    
  • Handles ~70% of Yemen’s imports and 80% of humanitarian aid.
    
    
  • Strategic target amid regional tensions (Yemen Civil War, Red Sea naval security).
    
    
• SARAT (Search and Rescue Aid Tool):
  
  
  • Developed by INCOIS under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
    
    
  • Simulates ocean drift patterns to help locate containers, debris, and individuals at sea.
    
    
  • Powered by high-resolution ocean models and high-performance computing.
    
    
  • Part of India’s Make in India initiative.
    
    
  • Supports the Indian Coast Guard, Navy, and Coastal Police.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS III (Science & Tech, Security), International Relations (GS II – Middle East geopolitics).

8. KATRIN Experiment: Understanding Neutrino Mass

Context: Germany’s KATRIN project achieves breakthrough in measuring neutrino mass—one of the most elusive questions in particle physics.

Detailed Notes:

• About KATRIN:
  
  
  • Located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
    
    
  • Stands for Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment.
    
    
• Objective:
  
  
  • To determine the absolute mass of neutrinos by observing the beta decay of tritium.
    
    
• Why It Matters:
  
  
  • Neutrinos are the lightest known particles and interact weakly with matter.
    
    
  • Neutrino mass has implications for cosmology, particularly dark matter, galaxy formation, and the evolution of the universe.
    
    
  • Complements findings from neutrino observatories like India’s INO (India-based Neutrino Observatory).
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS III (Science & Tech – Particle Physics, Research Institutions).

9. Poson Poya Festival – Buddhist Cultural Heritage

Context: Sri Lanka celebrates Poson Poya, commemorating the arrival of Buddhism over 2,000 years ago.

Detailed Notes:

• Occasion: Celebrated on the full moon of June (Poson Full Moon Day).
  
  
• Historical Significance:
  
  
  • Marks the first sermon delivered by Arahat Mahinda (son of Emperor Ashoka) to King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale.
    
    
  • Instrumental in spreading Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
    
    
• Cultural Significance:
  
  
  • Symbol of non-violence (Ahimsa) and spiritual transformation.
    
    
  • Emphasizes harmony, peace, and ecological balance.
    
    
• Global Relevance:
  
  
  • Strengthens India’s cultural and diplomatic linkages via Buddhist diplomacy.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS I (Culture), IR (India–Sri Lanka cultural ties), Ethics (Ahimsa and values).

10. CAQM and Dust Pollution Control in NCR

Context: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) signs MoU with CSIR-CRRI and SPA to reduce road dust in Delhi-NCR.

Detailed Notes:

• About CAQM:
  
  
  • Statutory body under the CAQM Act, 2021.
    
    
  • Jurisdiction: Delhi, and adjoining areas in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and UP.
    
    
• Objective of MoU:
  
  
  • Redesign urban roads to reduce dust load—one of the key contributors to PM2.5 and PM10 levels.
    
    
• Partners:
  
  
  • CSIR-CRRI: Expert in road engineering and materials.
    
    
  • School of Planning and Architecture (SPA): Urban planning and design.
    
    
• Air Quality Strategy:
  
  
  • Goes beyond seasonal bans (on firecrackers, construction) to address systemic urban planning issues.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS III (Environment – Pollution), GS II (Urban Governance), Prelims (CAQM facts).

11. Cathepsin B & Reproductive Health Innovation

Context: NIAB researchers discover that inhibiting Cathepsin B can preserve ovarian reserve in females.

Detailed Notes:

• What is Cathepsin B?
  
  
  • A lysosomal enzyme that breaks down proteins; involved in apoptosis and cell turnover.
    
    
• Medical Significance:
  
  
  • Overactivity leads to degradation of ovarian follicles.
    
    
  • Inhibition may help preserve fertility and delay reproductive aging.
    
    
  • Potential use in fertility preservation, anti-aging therapies, and reproductive medicine.
    
    
• Other Disease Links:
  
  
  • Cancer metastasis, inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS III (Science & Tech – Biotechnology, Health), GS II (Healthcare innovations).

12. Damage to Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv

Context: The historic UNESCO site in Ukraine was reportedly damaged during recent Russian military strikes.

Detailed Notes:

• About the Cathedral:
  
  
  • Built in the 11th century; located in Kyiv.
    
    
  • A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.
    
    
  • Architectural blend of Byzantine and Orthodox styles.
    
    
  • Symbolizes Ukraine’s spiritual heritage and its historic role as part of the “New Constantinople”.
    
    
• Cultural Loss:
  
  
  • Represents the devastation of cultural heritage during conflict — a violation of international humanitarian laws (e.g., 1954 Hague Convention).
    
    
• Geopolitical Context:
  
  
  • Occurs amid continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine since 2022.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS I (World History & Heritage), GS II (IR – Conflict Zones & Cultural Diplomacy).

13. Sant Kabirdas Jayanti

Context: Celebrated on 11 June to honor the legacy of Sant Kabir, a medieval poet-saint and reformer.

Detailed Notes:

• Philosophy:
  
  
  • Propounded Nirguna Bhakti (devotion to a formless god).
    
    
  • Rejected casteism, idol worship, and religious orthodoxy.
    
    
  • Advocated for an egalitarian and spiritual path to God.
    
    
• Major Works:
  
  
  • Kabir Bijak (preserved by Kabirpanth, UP).
    
    
  • Kabir Granthavali (associated with Dadupanth, Rajasthan).
    
    
  • Verses included in the Adi Granth Sahib by Guru Arjan Dev.
    
    
• Literary Style:
  
  
  • Sant Bhasha: Mystical poetic language.
    
    
  • Ulatbansi: Paradoxical sayings that invert ordinary meaning to reveal deeper truths.
    
    
• Legacy: A cultural bridge between Hinduism and Islam; deeply revered in Bhakti and Sufi traditions.
  
  

UPSC Relevance: GS I (Medieval Bhakti Movement, Society & Culture), Ethics (Social Reformers).

14. Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)

Context: Finance Minister chaired the 29th meeting of FSDC, discussing financial sector stability.

Detailed Notes:

• Background:
  
  
  • Established in 2010 as a non-statutory apex body for financial regulation coordination.
    
    
  • Objective: Ensure financial stability, development, and inter-regulator coordination.
    
    
• Composition:
  
  
  • Chaired by Finance Minister.
    
    
  • Members: RBI Governor, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA heads, Finance Secretary, Chief Economic Adviser.
    
    
• Sub-committee: Headed by the RBI Governor; focuses on operational coordination.
  
  
• Recent Issues Discussed:
  
  
  • Monitoring of NBFC sector, crypto regulations, insurance sector reform, and macroeconomic risks.
    
    

UPSC Relevance: GS III (Economy – Financial Sector), GS II (Governance), Prelims (Regulatory Institutions).