Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 10th June 2025

Algorithmic Trading:

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently announced a settlement scheme for stockbrokers currently under regulatory scrutiny for collaborating with unregulated algorithmic (algo) trading platforms.

• Algorithmic trading (also called automated trading, black-box trading, or algo-trading) uses a computer program that follows a defined set of instructions (an algorithm) to place a trade.
• It combines computer programming and financial markets to execute trades at precise moments.
• The trade, in theory, can generate profits at a speed and frequency that is impossible for a human trader.
• The defined sets of instructions are based on timing, price, quantity, or any mathematical model.
• Algo trading is already prevalent in India among both institutional and retail investors.
• Apart from profit opportunities for the trader, algo-trading renders markets more liquid and trading more systematic by ruling out the impact of human emotions on trading activities.
• Algorithmic trading relies on historical data and mathematical models to predict future market movements.
• However, unforeseen market disruptions, known as black swan events, can occur, which can result in losses for algorithmic traders.

Fuego Volcano:

Guatemalan authorities recently said they were evacuating more than 500 people after Central America’s most active volcano, Fuego Volcano, spewed gas and ash.

• Volcan de Fuego, which translates to “Volcano of Fire” in Spanish, is located in Guatemala.
• It is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala’s former capital, Antigua.
• Guatemala lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
• Fuego has erupted more than 60 times since 1524, making it Central America’s historically most active volcano.
• A deadly eruption in 2018 claimed 194 lives and left 234 people missing.
• Since then Volcan Fuego has continued to be active, but to a lesser extent, with small eruptions several times a day.
• Activity has consisted of ashfall, pyroclastic flows, lava flows, and lahars.

Ken-Betwa Link Project: Concern

Concerns over the construction work for the Ken-Betwa river linking project going on in the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, citing a severe impact on the wildlife population inside the reserve.

• It is a river interlinking project designed to transfer surplus water from the Ken River (Madhya Pradesh) to the water-scarce Betwa basin (Uttar Pradesh), both tributaries of the Yamuna.
• It is expected to bring prosperity to the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
• Phase I of the project involves the construction of the Daudhan Dam in Madhya Pradesh, a 77-meter-high structure, and a 221 km long canal, including a 2 km tunnel, to move water efficiently.
• The project will also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
• The project will utilize 4,543.52 MCM of water, benefiting Madhya Pradesh (2,350 MCM) and Uttar Pradesh (1,700 MCM) for irrigation, drinking water, and industrial use.
• Phase II of the project includes the Lower Orr Dam, Kotha Barrage, and Bina Complex Projects to enhance water availability.
• A significant concern is the impact on Panna Tiger Reserve, as nearly 6,000 hectares of its core area will be submerged due to the dam construction, affecting wildlife habitats.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple:

A ‘Maha Kumbhabhishekam’ was recently performed at the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram after 270 years.

• It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala.
• The name of the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Malayalam translates to “The City of Lord Ananta”,referring to the deity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
• The earliest recorded mention of the temple is from the 8th or 9th century CE, although the temple is likely older.
• The temple was built and rebuilt over the centuries, most recently by Martanda Varma, king of Travancore, who in 1750 donated the kingdom to the deity.
• It is a blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture.
• The idol of Vishnu is in the Anantha shayanam posture, the eternal yogic rest posture on his serpent Adisheshan.
• In 2011 the temple was the subject of international news when an exploration of its vaults revealed a wealth of jewels, precious metals, and other treasures.
• It is also widely believed to be the world’s richest temple.

Spathaspina noohi : New species of beetle

A new species of beetle, named Spathaspina noohi, was recently discovered from the biodiverse forests of Meghalaya.

• Spathaspina noohi is a new species of beetle.
• The beetle was found in the Umran area of Ri Bhoi district in Meghalaya at an elevation of 781 metres.
• It belongs to the weevil family.
• Weevils are part of the large beetle family Curculionidae, which includes over 60,000 known species globally.
• While many are known as agricultural pests, some, like the Spathaspina noohi, play important roles in ecosystems by helping control invasive plant species and maintaining ecological balance.
• Spathaspina noohi features a striking sword-like spine on its back. This highly unusual anatomical feature led researchers to assign it to an entirely new genus within the subfamily Ceutorhynchinae.
• This new genus name combines the Latin words spatha (meaning sword) and spina (meaning spine), inspired by the beetle’s prominent spine.
• The subfamily Ceutorhynchinae includes just over 1,300 species.
• These beetles are found around the world, but not in New Zealand, Oceania, Antarctica and nearby islands, or southern South America (below central Argentina and Chile).
• The greatest variety of these beetles is seen in the Palaearctic Region (Europe, North Africa, parts of Asia), followed by the Oriental Region (South and Southeast Asia).
• Ceutorhynchinae beetles can be identified by their sturdy body, their ability to tuck their snout (rostrum) between their front legs when at rest, and the visibility of a part of their body (mesanepimera) from the back — except in a few genera like Cyphosenus and Ceutorhynchoides.

Civil Registration System:

A new set of data from the Civil Registration System (CRS) shows that about 86.5 lakh deaths were registered in the country in 2022, substantially lower than the peak of 2021.

• Civil Registration System is popularly known as the birth and death registration
• It is the recording of vital events i.e. birth, death & still Birth under the statutory provisions on continuous and permanent basis.
• The registration of birth and death is done under the provisions of a central Act namely Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969 (amended in 2023).
• This Act was enacted in the year 1969 and was enforced in most of the States/UTs from 1st April, 1970 to promote uniformity and comparability in the registration of Births and Deaths across the country.
• CRS falls under the Concurrent list of the Constitution of India at Sl. No. 30.
• The Office of the Registrar General, India, (ORGI) obtains data on causes of death from the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths of different States and Union Territories.
• Vital statistics generated from civil registration significantly contribute to the formulation of effective and efficient evidence-based policy across multiple sectors.

Indravati National Park:

Security forces have encountered maoists in anti-Naxal operations in the Indravati National Park area of Chhattisgarh.

• Indravati National Park is located in the Bijapur district of
• It was declared as a tiger reserve in 1983 under the Project Tiger of India.
• The park derives its name from the Indravati River, which flows from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the reserve with the Indian state of Maharashtra.
• It mainly comprises undulating hilly terrain with altitudes ranging between 177 to 599 m above sea level.
• It has connectivity with several tiger reserves, viz. Kawal (Telangana), Tadoba (Maharashtra) and Kanha (Madhya Pradesh).
• It consists of three major forest types: Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest with Teak, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest without Teak, and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous
• It is home to one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo.
• Other animals include Nilgai, Black Buck, Sambar, Gaur, Tiger, Leopard, Chital, Sloth bears, etc.

Magnetic Isolation and Concentration Cryo-electron Microscopy:

Researchers in the U.S. have created Magnetic Isolation and Concentration cryo-electron microscopy (MagIC) which can study samples 100x more dilute than before.

• It helps researchers to study samples 100 times more dilute than before.
• It is a technique enabling direct structural analysis of targets captured on magnetic beads, thereby reducing the targets’ concentration requirement to <0.0005 mg/mL
• It uses magnetic beads (50-nm size beads) to hold molecules in place.
• This greatly reduces the amount of protein needed in the initial sample.
• A refined analysis method called Duplicated Selection To Exclude Rubbish (DuSTER) was designed in parallel to help capture the structure of smaller molecules.
• MagIC-cryo-EM and DuSTER will allow scientists to use cryo-EM to examine the structure of proteins which are smaller, challenging to isolate or present in minute quantities inside cells.
• The knowledge gained from these findings could help us better understand a wide range of biological processes.
• Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a technique that allows researchers to directly visualize proteins.
• The approach first requires flash-freezing a sample at extremely low temperatures and then sending a beam of electrons through the specimen from several angles.
• The resulting series of two-dimensional images are analysed using advanced algorithms to construct a final three-dimensional protein model.

Birsa Munda Martyr’s Day:

Prime Minister (PM) paid tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on 9th June 2025 on the occasion of his Martyr’s Day.

• Birsa Munda was a tribal leader, religious reformer, and freedom fighter who led a strong resistance against British colonial policies in the Chotanagpur region.
• He was also known as Dharti Abba (Father of the Earth), he is remembered for mobilising Adivasi communities around land rights, social reform, and spiritual unity.
• Born on 15th November 1875 in Ulihatu (Khunti district, Jharkhand) to a poor Munda tribal sharecropper family, Birsa was initially named Daud Munda due to his father’s temporary conversion to Christianity.
• Birsa mobilised tribal masses against these injustices and campaigned to reclaim their rights.
• The Ulgulan Movement (1895–1900): In 1895, Birsa Munda was arrested for rioting and jailed for 2 years; after his release in 1897, he resumed mobilising support across villages for a tribal-led self-rule movement.
• In 1899, he launched the Ulgulan (The Great Tumult) movement, which included guerrilla warfare tactics to resist British authority and promote the establishment of a self-governed tribal state known as “Birsa Raj”
• He was captured in February 1900 and died in British custody on 9th June 1900 at the young age of 25, under mysterious circumstances, officially attributed to cholera.
• His movement led to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (1908), which recognised tribal land rights (Khuntkatti), banned land transfer to non-tribals, and abolished beth begari (forced labour).
• Since 2021, 15th November is observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day).

Shubhanshu Shukla : First Indian to visit the ISS( Axiom-4 Mission)

Indian astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla, will pilot the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) while Peggy Whitson (USA) will command the mission.

• As a part of the mission, ISRO is sending tardigrades (water bears)—microscopic, hardy organisms—to the ISS to study how life can survive in extreme space conditions.
• Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is the 4th private spaceflight to the ISS, operated by Axiom Space, a US-based space company, using the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
• With this, Shubhanshu Shukla will become the 2nd Indian to travel to space (after Rakesh Sharma in 1984) and the 1st Indian to set foot on the ISS.
• Axiom Space’s 14-day mission aboard the ISS will conduct scientific experiments, tech demonstrations, and educational outreach, advancing its goal to build the first commercial space station and transition from ISS reliance to an independent orbital platform.
• It features an international crew comprising members from the United States, India, Poland, and Hungary.

Goa has been declared fully functionally literate:

Goa has been declared fully functionally literate under the Ministry of Education’s ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society)-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram programme, also known as the New India Literacy Programme (NILP).While Goa’s literacy rate was 93.60% as per PLFS 2023–24, a state-level ULLAS survey confirmed it has crossed the 95% functional literacy benchmark. Earlier, Mizoram became the first state and Ladakh the first UT to achieve full functional literacy.Functional literacy
It refers to an individual’s ability to apply reading, writing, and numeracy skills in daily life to enhance personal development and community participation. The ULLAS not only covers basic literacy but also equips learners with critical life skills, encouraging lifelong learning and active citizenship.

World Accreditation Day 2025:

The Quality Council of India (QCI) celebrated World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2025 on 9th June to highlight the role of accreditation in trade and economy, with the theme “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”. QCI also launched the revamped NABL Portal and Gunvatta Samarpan Initiative to enhance digital accreditation access for MSMEs and promote public commitment to quality standards Accreditation is a formal verification that an institution meets quality standards in testing, inspection, or certification. It enhances quality in sectors like health, education, and food, promotes standardization, and boosts global competitiveness.

India’s first E-Waste Recycling Eco Park:

Delhi has announced the establishment of India’s first E-Waste Recycling Eco Park in Holambi Kalan to tackle the capital’s electronic waste and promote circular economy.The E-Waste Eco Park is a specialized facility in Delhi for the scientific recycling, dismantling, and recovery of electronic waste. It is designed to serve as a model for sustainable e-waste management and promote India’s shift toward a circular economy.

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA):

The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) marks 9 impactful years in improving maternal health outcomes across India.PMSMA is a flagship maternal health programme of the Government of India. Launched in June 2016 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, it provides free and quality antenatal care (ANC) to pregnant women on the 9th of every month.

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame 2025:

Former India captain MS Dhoni has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame 2025, becoming the 11th Indian to receive this global honour. The ICC Hall of Fame is a prestigious global recognition platform that honours cricketing legends for their historic contributions to the game across generations and countries.He joins six other cricketing legends, including two women players, in the elite 2025 inductee list.

Indian Cricketers in the ICC Hall of Fame: Bishan Singh Bedi (2009), Kapil Dev (2009), Sunil Gavaskar (2009), Anil Kumble (2015), Rahul Dravid (2018), Sachin Tendulkar (2019), Vinoo Mankad (2021), Virender Sehwag (2023), and MS Dhoni (2025).

First flowering and seed set of asafoetida (heeng) at Palampur, Himachal Pradesh:

CSIR-IHBT reported the first flowering and seed set of asafoetida (heeng) at Palampur, Himachal Pradesh confirming its successful acclimatisation and domestication in Indian soil.Asafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida) is a perennial medicinal and culinary spice derived from the oleo-gum resin of the plant’s taproot. Known as heeng in India, it is widely used in Indian cuisines and mentioned in Ayurveda and ancient texts like the Charaka Samhita for its digestive and aromatic properties.

Justice N S Sanjay Gowda Sworn in as Gujarat High Court judge:

Justice Neranahalli Srinivasan Sanjay Gowda has officially taken charge as a judge of the Gujarat High Court. Earlier serving in the Karnataka High Court, his transfer is part of the Supreme Court’s plan to bring diversity and better administration across Indian High Courts.Justice Gowda was sworn in on Monday, June 9, 2025. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, Justice Sunita Agrawal. The event took place in the First Court of the Gujarat High Court in Vadodara. It was attended by Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, senior lawyers and other important guests.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju Launches UMEED Portal for Waqf Management:

The Government of India has taken a big step to make Waqf property management more transparent and helpful for the Muslim community.Union Ministry for Ministry Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, launched the UMEED Portal, a digital platform that aims to improve how Waqf properties are managed and monitored across the country. UMEED stands for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development. It is a centralized online system developed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The portal is designed to make real-time uploading, verification and monitoring of Waqf properties possible.

SBI Pays ₹8,076.84 Crore Dividend to Government for FY25:

The State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest public sector lender, has paid a dividend of ₹8,076.84 crore for the financial year 2024-25. The dividend cheque was formally handed over to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by SBI Chairman C.S. Setty on Monday, underscoring the bank’s robust financial performance and its key role in supporting the government’s fiscal resources.

Nicholas Pooran Retires from International Cricket at 29:

Nicholas Pooran, the explosive left-handed batter and one of West Indies’ most prominent white-ball players, announced his retirement from international cricket on June 10, 2025, at the age of 29. Pooran, a former West Indies white-ball captain, made the revelation via a heartfelt statement on his social media platforms, ending an impactful international career without citing specific reasons but mentioning it followed “much thought and reflection.”

Thomas Cook Partners with Muthoot Forex to Expand Payment Network:

Thomas Cook (India) Limited has joined hands with Muthoot Forex, part of the well-known Muthoot Group, to make its travel and student forex cards available across India. This partnership uses Muthoot’s wide network of over 7,000 branches, including 43 specialized forex branches, to reach customers in big cities as well as smaller towns.