NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Goan Feni Secures GI Tag: First-of-its-Kind Recognition for India’s Iconic Local Spirit: Ozzo Feni, produced by Cazcar Distillery in Nanora village, has become the first-ever feni to receive a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, officially recognizing it as a unique product of Goa, thereby protecting it from imitation and boosting its market value.Feni is a centuries-old Goan spirit made from cashew apples or coconut sap, introduced by Portuguese missionaries in the 1600s. Traditional distillation methods used by bhatikars have now evolved into modern copper pot techniques.The GI tag places Goan feni in the league of global spirits like Scotch whisky and Champagne, with strict adherence to sourcing from Goa and production in certified equipment like stainless steel, copper, or glass, enhancing its domestic and international identity.
2. Punjab Government Launches ‘FastTrack Punjab Portal’ to Accelerate Industrial Approvals and Boost Ease of Doing Business: Punjab Government launched the FastTrack Punjab Portal to streamline industrial approvals and reduce bureaucratic delays, ensuring investors get time-bound clearances with a guaranteed approval timeline of 45 days. If missed, deemed approval is automatically granted.The portal features a strong accountability mechanism, where delays are escalated to the Chief Secretary and trigger internal inquiries against responsible officials.The portal offers a Single-Window Clearance System, integrated with the Invest Punjab Portal, to issue statutory approvals like CLU, fire safety, forest, and pollution certificates within 15 days using just one stamp paper.Key reforms include self-certification for compliance, coverage of investments up to ₹125 crore under the expanded Right to Business Act, and the disbursal of ₹150 crore in industrial incentives since April 2025, with a target of ₹250 crore by June 2025.
3. Dept of Posts introduces ‘Gyan Post’ to deliver educational books at affordable rates: The Department of Posts has launched ‘Gyan Post’, a dedicated postal service aimed at delivering educational, cultural, social, and religious books at affordable rates, supporting the objectives of the New Education Policy (NEP).Gyan Post ensures nationwide accessibility, including rural and remote areas, with charges starting from ₹20 for up to 300 grams and going up to ₹100 for up to 5 kilograms, excluding taxes.The service includes a tracking facility for transparency and is available at all post offices across India; for more details, customers or contact their nearest post office.
4. SCCL Signs MoU with IMMT to Explore Rare Earth Elements and Enter Critical Minerals Sector: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has signed an MoU with the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar to explore and produce critical minerals found in Singareni mines using advanced and eco-friendly technologies.This MoU marks SCCL’s formal entry into the critical minerals sector, with a focus on extracting rare earth elements (REEs) like lanthanum, cerium, yttrium, and dysprosium from both open-cast mines and fly ash from its thermal power plant.Preliminary surveys by SCCL and Geological Survey of India (GSI) confirm the presence of REEs in Durgam Gutta block near Manuguru, with applications in electronics, lasers, glass, magnetic materials, and various industrial uses.IMMT will provide technical expertise and ensure environmentally sustainable methods for mineral extraction, reinforcing India’s strategy for critical mineral self-reliance and clean-tech development.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India slips to 131st position in Global Gender Gap Index 2025: India ranked 131st out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, slipping from its previous rank of 127 in 2024, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report.The ranking reflects a decline in gender parity across key areas like economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.Despite progress in female political representation, India continues to face wide gaps in labour force participation, wage equality, and access to leadership roles for women.The report noted that India’s gender gap in economic participation and opportunity remains one of the widest globally, dragging down its overall score.Iceland topped the index for the 15th consecutive year, followed by countries like Finland, Norway, and New Zealand, while India lags behind neighbours like Bangladesh (24th), Bhutan (119th), Nepal (125th) and Sri Lanka (130th).
2. 12 June – World Day Against Child Labour: World Day Against Child Labour is observed every year on 12 June to raise awareness about the global issue of child labour and to encourage efforts to eliminate it in all forms.The day was launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002 to highlight the plight of millions of children forced into labour and to push for international commitment and action.Theme 2025 – Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. First Indian & US Special Forces Exercise ‘Tiger Claw’ Concludes: The first-ever joint military exercise “Tiger Claw” between the Indian Air Force’s Special Forces (Garud) and the United States Air Force Special Forces was held across North India concluding at the Garud Regimental Training Centre.The Tiger Claw exercise marks the first collaboration between the Air Forces’ Special Forces of India and the U.S., aimed at enhancing interoperability, sharing best practices in Special Operations, and strengthening bilateral military ties.India and the U.S. already conduct other bilateral Special Forces exercises such as Vajra Prahar (Indian Army & U.S. Army) and Sangam (Indian Navy MARCOs & U.S. Navy SEALs); Tiger Claw adds the Air Force Special Forces dimension to this growing defence cooperation.
2. France to Host 8th Edition of Indo-French Military Exercise ‘Shakti’ at La Cavalerie: France will host the 8th edition of the India-France joint military exercise “Shakti” from 18 June to 1 July 2025 at La Cavalerie. The 7th edition was held in Umroi, Meghalaya (India) in May 2024.Exercise Shakti, launched in 2011, is a biennial exercise alternately hosted by both nations. It aims to enhance interoperability and joint capability in sub-conventional operations like counter-terrorism.The joint exercise will strengthen cooperation between Indian and French armies, promoting multi-domain operational coordination and deepening military diplomacy between the two countries.
SPORTS
1. Portugal beats Spain to win the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League Title: Portugal won their second UEFA Nations League title by defeating Spain in a thrilling final held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, via a dramatic 5-3 penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in regular and extra time.Cristiano Ronaldo set a new world record by becoming the oldest player to score a goal in an international men’s football match, scoring in both the semi-final against Germany and the final against Spain.Portugal reached the final after beating host nation Germany 2-1, while Spain thrashed France 5-1 in the other semi-final to set up a clash of former UEFA Nations League champions.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. India Hosts ITU FG-AINN Meeting to Advance AI-Native Telecom Networks: India hosted the 3rd meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on AI-Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) in New Delhi, marking a key step in advancing AI-native telecom infrastructures globally.The event was organized by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).India used the platform to seek support for its bid to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030 (PP-30), continue as a member of the ITU Council (2027–2031), and back Ms. M. Revathi as the first woman and regional candidate for Director of ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (2027–30).The FG-AINN, established by ITU-T Study Group 13 in July 2024, focuses on redefining network architecture to be AI-native, aiming to revolutionize the telecom landscape with smarter, more adaptive communication networks.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Sebi mandates verified ‘@valid’ UPI handles to tackle payment fraud: To curb payment fraud and impersonation, SEBI has mandated the use of verified ‘@valid’ UPI handles for all registered intermediaries like brokers, mutual funds, and investment advisors, effective October 1, 2025.Verified UPI handles (e.g., abc.bkr@validhdfc, xyz.mf@validhdfc) will feature a green ‘thumbs up’ icon for easy visual authentication, especially helping non-English speaking investors identify genuine payment accounts.Only banks can issue ‘@valid’ UPI IDs after verifying intermediaries via SEBI’s portal, ensuring that only authorized entities can receive investor funds; this shift will affect 8,000–9,000 intermediaries.Existing SIPs remain unaffected, but new investments must use the ‘@valid’ UPI handles. SEBI will also launch a 2-year investor awareness campaign and introduce a ‘SEBI Check’ tool to verify UPI IDs and bank details of intermediaries.
2. DFCC Bank’s Green Bond Debut: First Foreign Corporate Issuer at GIFT IFSC: Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank PLC became the first foreign corporate to list green bonds on the NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) at GIFT IFSC, with a value of LKR 2.5 billion, aimed at financing solar energy projects.These bonds represent Sri Lanka’s first capital market debt instruments exclusively dedicated to renewable energy, supporting the country’s ambitious target of generating 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.The listing aligns with the IFSCA’s vision to develop GIFT IFSC as a global hub for green and sustainable finance, particularly benefiting the Global South in addressing climate goals.NSE IX, launched in 2017, holds over 99% market share in GIFT IFSC, and this landmark issuance highlights its growing role in hosting innovative financial products from both domestic and international players.
3. Retail Inflation Drops to 2.82% in May, Lowest Since Feb 2019: India’s retail inflation fell to 82% in May 2025, down from 3.16% in April, marking the lowest year-on-year inflation rate since February 2019, mainly due to easing food prices.Food inflation dropped significantly to 0.99%, the lowest since October 2021, with rural food inflation at 0.95% (down from 1.85%) and urban food inflation at 0.96% (down from 1.64%).The decline in overall inflation was largely driven by reduced price pressures on pulses, vegetables, fruits, cereals, sugar, eggs, and household goods, coupled with a favourable base effect, as per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
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