Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 6th June 2025

Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal:

The Government of India launched the Ayush Nivesh Saarthi portal during the Ayush Stakeholder/Industry Interaction Meet held at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

• Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal is a dedicated, investor-centric digital platform.
• It is developed by the Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with Invest India.
• It aims to transform India’s traditional wellness systems into a robust economic driver.
• It integrates policy frameworks, incentive structures, investment-ready projects, and real-time facilitation into a single interface, designed to attract both domestic and global investors.
• It will empower investors with real-time data, transparent policy guidance, and access to a vibrant, expanding market.
• The platform underscores India’s ambition to become a leading destination for investments in traditional systems of medicine, leveraging the sector’s 17% annual growth rate between 2014 and 2020 and growing global demand for natural and preventive healthcare.
• This portal is expected to serve as a vital catalyst in attracting foreign direct investment, empowering entrepreneurs, and showcasing India’s leadership in traditional medicine and wellness to the world.

Astatine:

An international collaboration led by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, detected and measured the half-life of the heaviest proton emitter 188At (astatine) isotope.

• It is a rare and highly radioactive element with atomic number 85.
• It is part of the halogen group (Group 17) in the periodic table, which also includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.
• Unlike the other halogens, astatine has no stable isotopes.
• It’s probably a dark-colored solid at room temperature and pressure, but there is too little of it to know for sure.
• Due to its extreme radioactivity, it has a blue glow from ionizing air. All of its isotopes are radioactive.
• It occurs naturally as a decay product, but has a short half-life.
• It has 41 known isotopes ranging from mass number 188 and 190-229, all of which are radioactive.
• When the 188-astatine emits the proton, it becomes 187-polonium isotope, which has a half-life of only 1.4 milliseconds.
• The 187-polonium isotope then decays via alpha decay into 183-lead and so on, until it reaches a stable nucleus.
• It likely forms compounds similar to iodine but exhibits more metallic characteristics.

Greater Flamingo Sanctuary:

The Tamil Nadu government has officially declared a Greater Flamingo sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district.

• It is located in Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
• It is nestled within the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.
• The designated area is home to a variety of ecosystems, including mangroves, sand dunes, mudflats, and marshes.
• It is a critical stopover along the Central Asian Flyway.
• The move aims to preserve a critical stopover point along the Central Asian Flyway for thousands of migratory wetland birds.
• This region supports 128 bird species, including Greater and Lesser Flamingos.
• The area features diverse ecosystems and mangrove forests like Avicennia and Rhizophora, which stabilise the coastline and provide habitats for marine life, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and nesting sea turtles.
• Greater Flamingo is a large wading bird known for its distinctive pink feathers and unique feeding habits.
• Its range spans Africa, western Asia, and southern Europe.
• It is usually found in shallow, saline, alkaline wetlands, such as salt lakes, coastal lagoons, intertidal mudflats, and salt works during the breeding season.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Wild Life Protection Act: Schedule-II.

Sindoor Plant : Planting

The Prime Minister of India marked World Environment Day by planting a Sindoor sapling at his official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, in New Delhi.

• Sindoor plant, or Bixa orellana, is a small tropical shrub and is famous for its bright red seeds.
• It’s commonly called the ‘Annatto’ in English and the Sindoor plant in Hindi.
• The fruits of the Bixa are globular, ovoid capsules arranged in clusters resembling spiky looking red-brown seed pods covered in soft spines.
• It is a plant native to Brazil but grows in other regions of South and Central America. It is grown in tropical countries such as Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Indonesia, India, Kenya, and East Africa.
• It requires a frost-free, warm, humid climate and a sunny location so full direct sunlight for its growth and development will be most suitable.
• It grows on almost any type of soil, with a preference for neutral to slightly alkaline soils.
• The seeds of this plant produce one of the dyes most frequently used worldwide, not only in food products but also in the textile, paint, and cosmetic industries.
• Its extracts are also used as an industrial food colouring to add yellow or orange color to many products such as cheese, butter, margarine, ice creams, meats, and condiments.

EnviStats India 2025:

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, released the 8th issue of the publication titled “EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics”

• EnviStats India is published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) since 2018 in alignment with the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES) 2013.
• The data presented in the publication are compiled based on the data, sourced from various Ministries, Departments, and Organizations of the Government of India.
• Following the structure of FDES 2013 the data presented in “EnviStats India 2025 are organized into six components, each corresponding to the components of FDES 2013.
• Highlights of EnviStats India 2025:
  • The annual mean temperature increased from 25.05°C in 2001 to 25.74°C in 2024. Similarly, the annual minimum and maximum temperature rose from 19.32°C to 20.24°C and 30.78°C to 31.25°C respectively, during the same period.
  • The annual rainfall data from 2001 to 2024 highlights significant year-to-year variability influenced by monsoon patterns. Despite this variability, the data does not indicate any clear long-term upward or downward trend in total annual rainfall.
  • Thermal power generation has increased from 7,92,053 GWh to 13,26,549 GWh and Electricity generation from renewable energy sources has increased from 65520 GWh to 2,25,835 GWh during 2013-14 to 2023-24.
  • Inland fish production has increased from 61.36 lakh tonnes to 139.07 lakh tonnes during 2013-14 to 2023–24.

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme:

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), recently disbursed ₹300 crore in margin money subsidy to 8,794 beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) launched in August 2008, PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy scheme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
• It is a central sector scheme.
• PMEGP aims to generate employment opportunities through the establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector for rural as well as urban areas.
• The scheme is implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) functioning as the nodal agency at the national level.
• At the state level, the scheme is implemented through State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs), District Industries Centres (DICs), and banks.
• Eligibility:
  • Any individual above 18 years of age is eligible.
  • There will be no income ceiling for assistance for setting up projects under PMEGP.
  • Beneficiaries should possess at least an VIII standard pass educational qualification for setting up of projects costing above Rs.10 lakh in the manufacturing sector and above Rs. 5 lakh in the business/service sector.
  • Self Help Groups (including those belonging to BPL provided that they have not availed benefits under any other Scheme), institutions registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, Production Co-operative Societies, and, Charitable Trusts are also eligible for assistance under PMEGP.
  • Existing units that have already availed government subsidy under any other scheme of the Government of India or State Government are not eligible.

Grand Inga Hydropower Project:

The World Bank has approved $250 million in financing for the Inga 3 hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite widespread opposition from civil society groups and longstanding governance concerns.

• Grand Inga Hydropower Project is a hydroelectric project on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• It is the world’s largest proposed hydropower scheme.
• It is 50 km upstream of the mouth of the Congo River into the Atlantic Ocean, and 225 km (140 miles) south west of Kinshasa on the Congo River.
• The site is characterized by particularly high average river flows (the second largest in the world after the Amazon), a natural drop of around 97 meters caused by rapids, and a bend in the river that makes a variety of lower-impact designs possible.
• The project could produce up to 40,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, more than twice the power generated by the current most powerful dam in the world—the Three Gorges Dam in China—and more than a third of the electricity currently produced in all of Africa.
• The project will cost an estimated $80 billion US dollars, with funding provided by the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, French Development Agency and Development Bank of South Africa.
• It would be developed in seven phases beginning with Inga 3, which itself would have two phases.
• The Inga 3 dam will be located on the largest waterfall in the world by volume, Inga Falls.

Eurasian Economic Union:

Discussions on a free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union countries are expected to start this year, Russian Trade Commissioner in India, Andrey Sobolev, said recently.

• The Eurasian Economic Union, abbreviated by EAEU or EEU, is an international economic union of countries located in northern Eurasia.
• The EAEU provides for the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor; and pursues coordinated, harmonized, and single policy in the specified sectors of the economy.
• It is the successor to the Eurasian Economic Community (EvrAsEs) and was established by the signing of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union on 29 May
• It consists of five member states: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.
• The main objectives of the EAEU are to upgrade the competitiveness of the member states economies, increase cooperation among member states, and promote stable development to raise the standard of living in all member states.
• Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is the permanent supranational regulatory body of the union based in Moscow.
• The main purpose of the Commission is to ensure the functioning and development of the EAEU and
  develop proposals for the further development of integration.

World Milk Day 2025:

World Milk Day is celebrated to highlight the nutritional, economic, and environmental significance of milk, as well as the role of the dairy industry in the economy.

• Established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001, World Milk Day 2025 is themed “Let’s Celebrate the Power of Dairy,” highlighting dairy’s role in nutrition, rural livelihoods, economic growth, and sustainability.
• India has been the world’s top milk producer since 1998, now producing 25% of global milk. Between 2014-15 and 2023-24, milk production rose 63.56%, from 146.3 million tonnes to 239.2 million tonnes.
• In 1950-51, India produced less than 21 million tonnes of milk annually.
• Top Milk-Producing States: As per the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS) 2024, top 5 Milk producing States are Uttar Pradesh (16.21%), Rajasthan (14.51%), Madhya Pradesh (8.91%), Gujarat (7.65%), Maharashtra (6.71%).
• Per Capita Availability of Milk: In 2023-24, the per capita availability of milk was over 471 grams of milk daily, well above the world average of 322 grams.

India Elected to IIAS Presidency:

India has been elected President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for the term 2025–2028.

• It marked the first time in the organization’s history that elections were held through a ballot, with India securing the top position by winning 61.7% votes.
• IIAS, established in 1930 and headquartered in Brussels, is an international non-profit organization with scientific objectives.
• IIAS is a global federation of 31 Member Countries, 20 National Sections, and 15 Academic Research Centres, collaboratively developing public governance solutions to contemporary policy challenges.
• Notable member countries are India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, etc.
• IIAS works closely with the United Nations, contributing to the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (UN CEPA) and the UN Public Administration Network (UNPAN), though not formally affiliated to the UN.
• India has been a Member State of IIAS since 1998, represented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

Chenab Railway Bridge : PM To Inaugurate

Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the Chenab Railway Bridge marking the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.

• It is now officially the tallest railway bridge in the world, symbolizing engineering excellence and strategic connectivity.
• Chenab Railway Bridge is a steel-arch railway bridge built over the Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Recognized as the tallest railway bridge globally with a height of 359 meters—35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower.
• Situated between Bakkal and Kauri villages in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir.
• Forms a critical part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
• Connects Katra to Sangaldan, enabling rail access to Srinagar.
• Total Length: 1,315 meters (530 m approach + 785 m main arch).

Waste Picker Enumeration App:

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched a Nationwide Waste Picker Enumeration App under the NAMASTE scheme to formalize, empower, and provide social security to waste pickers.

• Waste Picker Enumeration App is a digital platform to enumerate, identify, and support waste pickers through social security and livelihood-based interventions under the NAMASTE Scheme.
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
• In collaboration with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• Implemented via National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
• Objective:
  • To recognize waste pickers as essential workers in India’s solid waste management system
  • To provide them with identity, protection, and integration into formal urban systems
• Targets enumeration of 2.5 lakh waste pickers and issue’s occupational identity cards for formal recognition.
• Provides health insurance under Ayushman Bharat and distributes personal protective equipment and seasonal safety kits.
• Offers skill development training and capital subsidy for waste collection vehicles to promote sustainable livelihoods.
• Supports formation of waste picker collectives to manage 750 dry waste collection centres across urban areas.
• Releases key resources like the Mainstreaming Waste Picker Collectives Guide and Charting Change socio-economic insights report.

NAMASTE Scheme:

• National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is a Central Sector Scheme launched to formalize and rehabilitate sanitation workers engaged in hazardous cleaning and solid waste management launched In July 2023

SEBI’s Operational Framework for ESG Debt Securities:

SEBI has notified a detailed operational framework for issuing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) debt securities, including social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bonds.ESG debt securities are financial instruments used to raise funds exclusively for projects with environmental, social, or governance benefits.

These include:

• Social Bonds (for social impact projects)
• Sustainability Bonds (for combined environmental and social goals)
• Sustainability-Linked Bonds (with targets linked to ESG performance)

S Mahendra Dev Appointed as Chairman of PM’s Economic Advisory Council:

Eminent economist S Mahendra Dev has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). Known for his extensive expertise in agriculture, rural economy, and development economics, Dev brings with him decades of experience in public policy and academia. He stepped down from his post as independent director on the board of Axis Bank following this full-time appointment. His academic pedigree includes a PhD in Economics from Delhi School of Economics and post-doctoral research at Yale University.

PM Modi Launches ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ on World Environment Day:

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second phase of the nationwide tree plantation campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ by planting a sapling at Mahavir Jayanti Park in New Delhi. The initiative encourages citizens to plant a tree in honor of their mothers, blending emotional sentiment with ecological responsibility. As part of the drive, the government has set an ambitious target of planting 10 crore trees across the country between June 5 and September 30. In a parallel push for sustainability, the Prime Minister also flagged off 200 electric buses in Delhi to promote green public transportation and combat urban air pollution.

Bangladesh Drops ‘Father of the Nation’ Title for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman:

Bangladesh’s interim government led by Prof. Mohammed Yunus has officially dropped the title of ‘Father of the Nation’ for Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a revised version of the Liberation War Act, issued on June 3, 2025. This revision, coupled with the earlier release of new currency notes excluding Mujib’s image, marks a historic shift in the country’s political and symbolic landscape. The changes reflect the interim government’s efforts to reframe the narrative around the 1971 Liberation War, stirring debate over identity, legacy, and national recognition.

MS Dhoni Becomes Face of Dettol’s New ‘Icy Cool’ Personal Care Range:

Dettol, India’s leading germ protection brand, announced the appointment of Mahendra Singh Dhoni—India’s beloved “Captain Cool”—as its new brand ambassador for its latest Icy Cool personal care range, including soaps, bodywash, and handwash. This strategic collaboration merges Dhoni’s calm and resilient persona with Dettol’s trusted image, aiming to address summer-specific hygiene needs with a refreshing twist. Dettol introduced a new Icy Cool product range to provide germ protection with a cooling effect. MS Dhoni has been appointed the brand ambassador to launch and promote this new line. The campaign seeks to connect with consumers battling heat and sweat-related skin discomfort during the Indian summer

TCL India Renews Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassador for Second Year:

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. This extension underscores the brand’s ongoing efforts to deepen its emotional connection with Indian consumers through inspiring campaigns, cutting-edge products, and community-driven initiatives under the theme “Master the Moment.”