All daily digests
Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Thursday, 25 June 2026
33 items
Tamil Nadu
- ePlane unveils India's first full-scale eVTOL prototype
— The IIT Madras-incubated startup unveiled the prototype, marking a significant milestone in India's urban air mobility sector; relevant to Science & Technology GS paper. - VCK urges CM Vijay to reconsider gold ring scheme
— Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi raised concerns that the gold ring (8g) scheme lacks substance compared to investment in public health infrastructure, while also objecting to CM Vijay's remarks mocking former CM Stalin's Kolathur defeat. - Tamil Nadu to shift KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— The Vijay government announced that Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (KMUT) recipients aged above 60 will be moved to the pension scheme with an enhanced monthly grant; relevant to welfare scheme questions. - Tamil Nadu government confirms two-language policy unchanged
— A state minister clarified that the TVK government will continue Tamil Nadu's long-standing two-language policy (Tamil and English), distancing itself from the National Education Policy's three-language formula. - StartupTN CEO Sivarajah Ramanathan resigns
— The resignation of the head of Tamil Nadu's flagship startup promotion agency raises questions about continuity in the state's entrepreneurship ecosystem. - Road named after late Major Mukund Varadarajan
— A road in Tamil Nadu was dedicated to the Param Vir Chakra awardee (posthumous) Major Mukund Varadarajan, honouring his sacrifice; relevant to defence/awards GS questions.
India — National
- Air India aircraft briefly enters Pakistan airspace; DGCA acts
— The Directorate General of Civil Aviation took action against the air traffic controller and crew after the aircraft deviated during radar vectoring and briefly violated Pakistani airspace; aviation safety and DGCA jurisdiction angle. - J&K government bids for Sufiyana music's UNESCO intangible heritage recognition
— CM Omar Abdullah wrote to Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat requesting formal nomination of Sufiyana classical music for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. - 31% of Rajya Sabha MPs have declared criminal cases: ADR report
— The Association for Democratic Reforms found that 16% of sitting Rajya Sabha MPs face serious criminal charges and 14% are billionaires, highlighting issues of criminalisation of politics. - Anna Hazare warns of nationwide agitation over Maharashtra RTI Amendment Rules 2026
— Hazare gave the Maharashtra government a July 5 deadline to withdraw the RTI amendments, which activists allege were passed without public consultation, raising transparency concerns. - NHAI identifies 595 accident-prone unauthorised parking areas on highways post-Supreme Court order
— The National Highways Authority of India conducted the survey following a Supreme Court directive on highway safety; relevant to road safety and judiciary-executive coordination. - Bihar Cabinet approves Bihar State Teacher Transfer Rules 2026
— The cabinet also approved Justice (Retd.) Vinod Kumar Sinha to head the inquiry commission into the Bharat Bhushan Tiwari encounter case. - Passport is a travel document, not citizenship proof: MEA
— The Ministry of External Affairs clarified the legal status of passports, relevant to citizenship law (Articles 5–11) and Passport Entry into India Act GS questions.
Economy & Finance
- India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to be implemented on July 15
— Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is travelling to the UK to review rollout preparedness; the deal is accompanied by a Double Contribution Convention (DCC); key for bilateral trade GS questions. - India's current account surplus narrows to $7.1 billion in Q4
— The narrowing was driven by a rising gold import bill and foreign investor outflows; FIIs have sold over ₹2.8 lakh crore in 2026 amid global uncertainty. - April IIP (new series) rises to 4.9% from 3.2% in March
— Industrial production growth accelerated in April as per the revised Index of Industrial Production series; key macro indicator for economy GS. - RBI Monthly Bulletin warns monsoon shortfall could weigh on growth and inflation
— The RBI flagged that any deficit in the southwest monsoon could adversely impact food prices and the overall growth outlook for 2026-27. - Government orders oil companies to build 30-day LPG reserves amid Strait of Hormuz supply risks
— The directive comes as the Iran-U.S. conflict has elevated energy security concerns; relevant to energy security and strategic reserves policy.
Science & Technology
- Ammonia gas leak at seafood processing plant in Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu kills at least 9
— At least 9 people died and 69 were hospitalised after the industrial accident; raises industrial safety and chemical hazard awareness questions. - BRICS space agencies meet begins in Bengaluru
— Heads and senior representatives of all 11 BRICS member nations' space agencies attended the meeting, with India's ISRO as host; relevant to ISRO and multilateral space cooperation. - *New moth genus Antaram idukki discovered in Kerala's Idukki district* — Scientists identified the new tiger moth species in the Western Ghats, underscoring the region's rich and under-documented biodiversity; relevant to Western Ghats conservation GS questions.
- Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS confirmed older than the solar system
— Carbon isotope analysis revealed the comet predates the solar system, providing clues about primordial interstellar gas clouds; relevant to space science.
Environment
- Discovery of new moth genus in Kerala's Idukki highlights Western Ghats' hidden biodiversity
— The tiger moth species Antaram idukki, known only from Idukki, reinforces the case for protecting biodiversity-rich Western Ghats habitats; relevant to biodiversity conservation and Wildlife Protection Act. - Assam government monitors flash flood situation; Brahmaputra water levels rising
— Heavy upstream rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh is causing a substantial rise in Brahmaputra river levels, with authorities on alert; relevant to disaster management and river basin governance. - Great Nicobar project faces scrutiny from House panel
— A parliamentary standing committee chairperson flagged environmental and strategic concerns over the ambitious Great Nicobar Island development project; relevant to environmental clearance and island development policy.
Sports
- FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil beat Scotland 3-0, advance to knockout stage
— Vinícius Júnior scored twice; Neymar made his tournament debut as a substitute in the 76th minute after recovering from a calf injury; Brazil confirmed in Round of 16. - FIFA World Cup 2026: Morocco beat Haiti 4-2, reach knockout stage
— Soufiane Rahimi's goal 12 minutes from time proved decisive; Haiti, playing their first World Cup in 52 years, came close to earning a historic point. - FIFA World Cup 2026: Mexico secure knockout stage berth
— Mexico topped Group A after back-to-back wins over South Africa and South Korea ahead of their final group game against Czechia.
Appointments & Awards
- Padma Vibhushan for Justice K.T. Thomas
— The former Supreme Court judge, known for significant rulings including observations on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan; relevant to national honours and judiciary. - Justice (Retd.) Vinod Kumar Sinha appointed to head Bharat Bhushan Tiwari encounter inquiry
— The Bihar Cabinet approved the former Patna High Court judge to lead the commission; relevant to state judicial commissions and accountability.
(Note: The Appointments & Awards feed contained several non-current or irrelevant items — only verifiable current appointments are included above.)
International
- Iran-U.S. interim deal: Iran clarifies no tolls sought at Strait of Hormuz
— Despite the tentative deal, Iran described it as a "declaration of U.S. defeat"; U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited UAE to ease regional concerns; Iran's nuclear sites likely to face inspections — critical for India's energy imports and West Asia policy. - White House seeks $87.6 billion from Congress for Operation Epic Fury (Iran war), Ebola response, and farm aid
— The budget request signals continued U.S. military engagement; the Ebola component is significant given the ongoing DR Congo outbreak affecting miners. - Back-to-back powerful earthquakes strike Venezuela; buildings collapse in Caracas
— Major seismic event caused significant damage to Venezuela's capital; no direct India angle but relevant for disaster management GS context.
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 India-UK CETA goes live on July 15, 2026; Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal leading UK preparedness review — accompanied by Double Contribution Convention (DCC).
- 🔑 ePlane (IIT Madras-incubated) unveiled India's first full-scale eVTOL prototype — a first in Indian urban air mobility.
- 🔑 31% of Rajya Sabha MPs have declared criminal cases (ADR report); 16% face serious criminal charges — key data point for polity/governance questions.