📊 Index & Rankings
India ranked 131st out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025 released by the World Economic Forum.
The decline was attributed mainly to gaps in economic participation and labour force involvement.
Iceland topped the index for the 15th consecutive year.
Iceland has maintained the top position since the index began, while India’s ranking dropped due to economic participation gaps.
According to ILO-ILOSTAT, India’s social security coverage rose from 19% (2015) to 64.3% (2025), covering over 94 crore beneficiaries.
India now ranks 2nd globally in beneficiary coverage, reflecting digital integration of welfare schemes.
Social security coverage tripled in a decade, with India now ranking 2nd globally in number of beneficiaries covered.
🇮🇳 National News
India hosted the 3rd meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on AI-Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) in New Delhi.
Organised by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) under the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with ITU, the meeting focused on redesigning telecom networks to be AI-native, adaptive, and self-optimising.
India also sought international backing for:
- Hosting ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2030
- ITU Council membership (2027–31)
- Candidature of M. Revathi for Director, ITU Radiocommunication Bureau
Ozzo Feni, produced in Goa, became the first feni to receive a GI tag, formally recognising it as a heritage spirit unique to Goa.
Made from cashew apples or coconut sap, feni traces its origins to the 17th century Portuguese era.
The GI status protects authenticity, mandates local sourcing and production, and elevates Goan feni to the league of globally protected spirits.
Feni joins the elite list of GI-protected spirits like Scotch whisky and Champagne, ensuring only authentic Goan-produced feni can carry the name.
The Punjab Government launched the FastTrack Punjab Portal to ensure time-bound industrial approvals.
Key features include:
- Single-window clearance for all industrial approvals
- 45-day approval timeline (deemed approval if delayed)
- Self-certification for compliance
The portal strengthens Punjab’s ease of doing business framework and supports investments up to ₹125 crore under the Right to Business Act.
The Department of Posts launched Gyan Post, a low-cost postal service for delivering educational, cultural, and religious books nationwide.
Starting at ₹20 for 300 grams, the service supports the National Education Policy (NEP) and ensures access even in remote areas, with tracking enabled.
Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) signed an MoU with CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar, to explore rare earth elements (REEs) such as lanthanum, cerium, and dysprosium.
Extraction will be carried out from coal mines and fly ash using environment-friendly technologies, strengthening India’s critical mineral self-reliance.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two railway doubling projects worth ₹6,405 crore:
- Koderma–Barkakana (Jharkhand)
- Ballari–Chikjajur (Karnataka–Andhra Pradesh)
The projects fall under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and will boost freight capacity, reduce logistics costs, and cut carbon emissions.
Delhi will host India’s first e-waste eco park at Holambi Kalan, developed under a PPP (DBFOT) model.
The facility will process 51,000 MT of e-waste annually, generate green jobs, and recover valuable metals, addressing India’s growing e-waste challenge.
This eco park will be India’s first dedicated facility for systematic e-waste processing and metal recovery.
💼 Business & Economy
To prevent payment fraud, SEBI mandated verified ‘@valid’ UPI handles for all registered market intermediaries from 1 October 2025.
A new tool called ‘SEBI Check’ will allow investors to verify the authenticity of UPI IDs before making payments.
Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank became the first foreign corporate to list green bonds at NSE IFSC, raising funds for renewable energy projects.
India’s CPI-based retail inflation fell to 2.82% in May 2025, the lowest since February 2019, driven by easing food prices.
Retail inflation at 2.82% is well below RBI’s 4% target, indicating controlled price rise and easing cost of living pressures.
A study by VV Giri National Labour Institute projected that India’s gig and platform workforce will reach 62 million by 2047, accounting for nearly 15% of non-agricultural employment.
🌐 International News
NATO launched BALTOPS-25, its largest maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea, hosted by Latvia.
The drill involves 16 NATO nations, over 9,000 personnel, and focuses on multidomain interoperability and maritime security.
👔 Appointments
| Person | Position / Award |
|---|---|
| Javed Akhtar | Russia’s Dostoevsky Star Award |
| Katrina Kaif | Global Tourism Ambassador of Maldives |
| Sumit Madan | MD & CEO, Axis Max Life Insurance |
🔬 Science, Technology & Defence
Military Exercises:
- India–US Air Force Special Forces Exercise ‘Tiger Claw’ concluded
- France to host Indo-French Exercise ‘Shakti’ (8th edition)
Defence Industry:
- Reliance Defence partnered with Diehl Defence (Germany) to manufacture Vulcano 155mm munitions
- GRSE to build two Coastal Research Vessels for GSI
Space Technology:
- Russia patented a drone spacecraft platform for its future orbital station
🏆 Sports
Football:
- Portugal won the UEFA Nations League 2024-25, defeating Spain
- Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest scorer in an international final
Cricket:
- Nicholas Pooran (West Indies) retired from international cricket
📅 Important Days
12 June – World Day Against Child Labour 2025
“Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts”
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