Daily Current Affairs Update – 04 July 2025

1. WHO Report: ‘From Loneliness to Social Connection’

Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the report ‘From Loneliness to Social Connection: Charting a Path To Healthier Societies’ to highlight the growing global crisis of social isolation and loneliness, and its impact on health, well-being, and society. The report is based on data from 2014–2023 and covers all age groups, with a focus on the young and elderly.

Key Points

• Definitions:
  • Social Connection: The ways individuals relate to and interact with others, including family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
    
    
  • Social Disconnection: Insufficient social contact, lack of support, or negative relationships. Includes:
    
    
    • Loneliness: Gap between desired and actual social experiences.
      
      
    • Social Isolation: Having very few relationships or infrequent social contact.
      
      
• Key Findings:
  • About 1 in 6 people globally feel lonely.
  • Young people (13–29 years) are the loneliest group.
  • Up to 1 in 3 older adults (1990–2022) and about 1 in 4 teenagers (2003–2018) are socially isolated.
  • Loneliness is higher in low-income countries (24%) than in richer countries (11%).
  • Linked to 871,000 global deaths (2014–2019).
  • Associated with depression, anxiety, dementia, poor academic performance, and productivity loss.
    
    
• Drivers of Social Isolation and Loneliness:
  • Living alone, weak community infrastructure, life transitions, unhealthy use of digital technologies, marginalization, low income/education.
    
    
• Recommendations:
  • National policies to encourage social connection (adopted by countries like Denmark, Finland, Germany).
  • Building research capacity and launching global challenges.
  • Strengthening social infrastructure (community spaces, services).
  • Developing a global Social Connection Index.
  • Public engagement through campaigns, events, and social prescribing.
    
    

2. Israel and US Air Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities

Context

Israel and the US launched air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities after the IAEA declared Iran in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran responded by suspending cooperation with the IAEA, raising concerns about the effectiveness of international organizations.

Key Points

• IAEA’s Role:
  • Acts as the international safeguards inspectorate under the NPT.
  • Verifies non-proliferation commitments of non-nuclear weapon states.
  • Facilitates peaceful nuclear energy applications.
    
    
• Implications:
  • Erosion of authority and effectiveness of international organizations.
  • Weakening compliance with international law.
  • Crisis of credibility and legitimacy (e.g., UN Security Council’s veto power).
  • Demonstrates lack of enforcement powers and outdated governance structures.
    
    
• Significance:
  • Highlights challenges in global nuclear governance.
  • Illustrates geopolitical tensions and the limitations of international institutions.
    
    

3. C-FLOOD: Unified Inundation Forecasting System

Context

C-FLOOD is a newly launched web-based platform providing advance flood forecasts up to the village level in India. It integrates data from multiple agencies to aid disaster management.

Key Points

• About C-FLOOD:
  • Provides 2-day advance flood inundation forecasts.
  • Uses advanced 2-D hydrodynamic modeling.
  • Offers flood maps and water level predictions.
    
    
• Development:
  • Jointly developed by C-DAC Pune, Central Water Commission (CWC), Ministry of Jal Shakti, and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
  • Executed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
    
    
• Coverage:
  • Currently covers Mahanadi, Godavari, and Tapi river basins.
  • Planned expansion to all Indian river basins.
    
    
• Significance:
  • Over 40 million hectares (~12% of India’s area) are flood-prone.
  • Aids disaster preparedness and response.
  • Forecasts to be integrated with the National Disaster Management Emergency Response Portal (NDEM).
    
    

4. Quad’s Critical Minerals Initiative

Context

The Quad (US, Japan, India, Australia) launched the Critical Minerals Initiative to secure and diversify supply chains for minerals essential to modern industries and national security.

Key Points

• Need for Initiative:
  • Production and processing of critical minerals are highly concentrated (e.g., DRC for cobalt, China for refining).
  • Vulnerability to supply disruptions and geopolitical risks.
    
    
• Critical Minerals:
  • Include lithium, cobalt, nickel, etc.
  • Applications: Electric vehicles, electronics, defense, clean energy.
    
    
• India’s Steps:
  • Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023.
  • National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM).
  • National Mineral Policy, 2019.
  • International collaborations: Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), KABIL, India-Argentina lithium agreement.
    
    
• Significance:
  • Ensures supply chain resilience.
  • Supports India’s clean energy and strategic sectors.

 

 

5. RBI’s Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)

Context

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks to integrate the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) to combat rising cyber and financial frauds.

Key Points

• About FRI:
  • Developed by Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
  • Classifies mobile numbers by risk of financial fraud (Medium, High, Very High).
  • Uses data from NCRP, Chakshu platform, and intelligence from banks.
    
    
• Implementation:
  • Real-time preventive measures: Declining suspicious transactions, issuing alerts.
  • Automated data exchange between banks and DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP).
    
    
• Significance:
  • Enhances cyber fraud prevention.
  • Regular sharing of Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) for disconnected numbers linked to cybercrime.
    
    

6. Spain and Brazil: Global Tax on Super-Rich

Context

Spain and Brazil proposed a global tax on high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and the creation of a Global Wealth Registry at the UN’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.

 

Key Points

• Proposal:
  • Enforce effective taxation of HNIs.
  • Create a comprehensive international registry of all wealth and assets.
    
    
• Need for Action:
  • Top 1% own more than 95% of global wealth.
  • Billionaires’ wealth surged by $33.9 trillion since 2015, but pay only 0.3% in real taxes.
  • Achieving SDGs requires more equitable wealth distribution.
    
    
• Global and Indian Initiatives:
  • Seville Platform for Action, G20 tax agenda, UN tax negotiations.
  • India: MGNREGA, DDU-GKY, Atal Pension Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, MUDRA Yojana.
    
    

7. Nutritional Intake in India Report (NSO)

Context

The National Statistics Office (NSO) released a report on nutritional intake in India, based on Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (2022–23 & 2023–24).

Key Points

• Findings:
  • Average per capita daily calorie intake (2022–24): Rural – 2233/2212 Kcal; Urban – 2250/2240 Kcal.
  • Cereals remain the main protein source, but their share is declining.
  • Increased intake of eggs, fish, meat, milk, etc.
  • Calorie intake gap between bottom and top 5% has narrowed.

• Significance:
  • Reflects changing dietary patterns.
  • Indicates progress in reducing nutritional inequality.
    
    

8. PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal

Context

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal was launched to provide open access to student performance data at national and state levels.

Key Points

• About PARAKH:
  • National Assessment Centre under NCERT, set up in 2023.
  • Objective: Setting norms, standards, and guidelines for student assessment.
    
    
• Portal Features:
  • Open access to data for targeted planning.
  • Supports capacity development, achievement surveys, school board equivalence, and holistic progress cards.
    
    

9. Indian PM’s State Visit to Ghana

Context

The Indian Prime Minister visited Ghana on a state visit, the first in three decades, strengthening bilateral relations.

 

 

Key Points

• Highlights:
  • PM conferred with Ghana’s highest civilian honour.
  • Ghana: Major gold and cocoa producer.
  • Location: Western Africa, Gulf of Guinea coast.
  • Borders: Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo.
  • Geographical features: Volta River, Lake Volta (world’s largest artificial lake), Mount Afadjato.
  • Prime meridian passes through Ghana.
    
    

10. Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) Recommendations

Context

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) recommended streamlining the forest clearance process for major industry and infrastructure projects.

Key Points

• About FAC:
  • Statutory body under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
  • Examines proposals for non-forestry use of forest land.
  • Role is recommendatory.
    
    
• Significance:
  • Balances development needs with forest conservation.
  • Key for environmental governance and project clearances.
    
    

11. IFSCA: Transition Bonds Framework

Context

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) approved a framework for transition bonds to support decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors.

Key Points

• About Transition Bonds:
  • Sub-category of green debt security (as per SEBI regulations).
  • Funds raised for projects/assets like clean transportation, sustainable waste management.
    
    
• Objective:
  • Help sectors like steel and cement raise capital for decarbonization.
  • Enforce transparency, disclosures, and third-party validation to prevent greenwashing.
    
    

12. Green Climate Fund (GCF) Approvals

Context

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved over USD 120 million for new projects to support developing countries’ climate goals.

Key Points

• About GCF:
  • World’s largest climate fund.
  • Supports developing countries in achieving low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.
  • Established at COP 16 (UNFCCC), 2010.
  • Governed by the GCF Board, headquartered in Songdo, South Korea.
    
    
• Significance:
  • Key financial mechanism under the Paris Agreement.
  • Supports Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
    
    

 

13. Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

Context

Five tigers were found dead in the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, highlighting its ecological significance.

Key Points

• Location: Southeast Karnataka.
• Significance:
  • Corridor between Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT) and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries.
  • Dominated by dry deciduous, semi-evergreen, and shola forests.
  • Home to tigers, elephants, leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears.
  • Important for Eastern Ghats–Western Ghats landscape connectivity.
  • Dominant communities: Soligas and Lingayats.
    
    

14. RBI Revises SDF and MSF Timings

Context

The Reserve Bank of India revised the timings for the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) to improve liquidity management.

Key Points

• About SDF:
  • Allows banks to place surplus deposits with RBI overnight.
  • Absorbs liquidity without collateral.
    
    
• About MSF:
  • Emergency borrowing window for banks.
  • Banks borrow by pledging government securities.

• Significance:
  • Key tools for monetary policy and liquidity management.
    
    

15. Operation MED MAX by NCB

Context

Operation MED MAX was conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to crack down on illegal pharmaceutical drug trade.

Key Points

• Objective:
  • Dismantle transnational drug trafficking syndicates.
  • Targeted smuggling of controlled medicines across continents.
    
    
• Modus Operandi:
  • Use of encrypted digital platforms, drop shipping, and cryptocurrency.
  • Highlights convergence of digital platforms, cryptocurrency, and logistics in illicit trade.
    
    
• Significance:
  • Demonstrates evolving nature of drug trafficking.
  • Importance of international cooperation and digital intelligence in law enforcement.