Current Context: Italian luxury brand Prada, at Milan Fashion Week, featured sandals resembling traditional Indian GI‑tagged Kolhapuri chappals without credit. Facing public outrage, Prada officially acknowledged the design inspiration and is now engaging with Maharashtra artisans .

ABOUT KOLHAPURI CHAPPALS

Origin & Heritage: Handcrafted in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, since the 13th century; protected under GI tag (2019).

• Design: Open-toe leather sandals with T‑strap designs, vegetable-tanned using cow, buffalo, or goat leather.
• Craftsmanship: Made over ~6 weeks; durable, molds to feet, sustainable long-term.
• Economics: Sold in India for ₹300–₹1,500; Prada priced its versions $844.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Symbol of Indian cultural identity and artisan heritage.
• Sparks debate on intellectual property rights and recognition of traditional crafts at global platforms.

Current Context: GoIStats mobile app was launched on Statistics Day 29 June 2025 by MoSPI’s NSO to provide mobile access to official statistics

 ABOUT GoIStats APP

• Developer: National Sample Survey Office under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.
• Features:
• “Key Trends” dashboard with GDP, inflation, employment visuals
• Downloadable CSV data and official publications
• Advanced filtering, metadata detail, infographic storytelling
• Availability: Android version live; iOS coming soon
• Significance: Enhances data transparency, supports a “Viksit Bharat” data‑driven governance model.

Current Context: CBSE opened applications on the National Scholarship Portal for CSSS 2025–26 in late June 2025.

ABOUT CSSS (PM‑USP)

• Objective: Provide ₹12,000–₹20,000/year scholarships to meritorious students from low-income families pursuing UG/PG/professional courses.
• Coverage: Up to 82,000 fresh awards yearly — equally for boys and girls.
• Amounts:
• ₹12,000/year for UG (years 1–3)
• ₹20,000/year for PG (years 1–2) & professional courses (4th–5th year
• Eligibility: Based on Class 12 board results and parental income ≤ ₹4.5 lakhs/year
• Application Timeline: Opened 2 Jun, closes 31 Oct 2025; renewals follow attendance ≥ 75% and ≥ 50% marks.

India observes National Doctor’s Day on 1 July.

• Aim : To honour its doctors’ dedication.
• Theme : “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?”
• Date & Legacy: Observed on 1 July since 1991, marking the birth and death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882–1962), India’s eminent physician, freedom fighter, Bengal CM, and Bharat Ratna awardee.

Celebrated on 1 July.

• Aim : To mark the foundation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in 1949.
• Origins: The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 was enacted on 1 May, effective 1 July 1949, establishing ICAI.
• Institute: ICAI is India’s statutory body regulating chartered accountants; one of the largest accounting bodies globally (~3.5 lakh members).
• Roles of CA: Specialists in auditing, taxation, financial planning, and compliance—critical to India’s economic integrity.

Observed on 1 July

• Aim : To honour men and women who deliver mail and parcels daily.
• Origin: Launched in 1997 by Richard E. Baker to appreciate postal workers’ dedication.
• Purpose: To highlight the hard work of postal workers—often facing extreme weather, physical strain—and boost their morale.

Current Context: UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone for a ₹1,000 crore “Green Data Centre” in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad – a 30 MW Tier-III facility built by Central Electronics Ltd in partnership with ESDS.

ABOUT THE GREEN DATA CENTRE

• Public–Private Partnership between CEL (Mini-Ratna PSU under CSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology) and ESDS.
• Designed to Tier-III standards: 200 high-density racks per floor, dual 10 Gbps links, sustainable features (rainwater harvesting, smart cooling, reflective roofing).
• Emphasises renewables: aligns with UP target of 20,000 MW renewable generation by 2027; first green data centre in Uttar Pradesh.

What Is a Green Data Centre?

• A Green Data Centre is a data facility designed with energy-efficient technologies and environment-friendly practicesto minimize environmental impact while maintaining high performance and reliability.

Key features include:

• Efficient construction: optimized airflow, use of sustainable materials, and green building design.
• Advanced cooling systems: free-air, liquid immersion, hot/cold aisle containment.
• Renewable energy: solar, wind, hydro; onsite or through green energy procurement.
• Heat reuse: capturing and reusing waste heat for heating or other purposes.
• Virtualization & hardware efficiency: reduce physical servers to save power

Current Context: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed progress at GIFT City’s IFSC, urging swift reforms to enhance global competitiveness and attract foreign capital via regulated channels.

 ABOUT GIFT City – IFSC

• A Special Economic Zone launched in April 2015 in Gandhinagar–Ahmedabad, Gujarat; India’s first operational greenfield smart city and international financial services centre.
• Governed by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), established under the IFSC Act, 2019; a unified regulator for financial institutions and products.
• Focus Areas: Banking, capital markets, insurance, asset/fund management, fintech, international bullion exchange, aircraft & ship leasing.
• Tax Incentives: 100% tax exemptions for up to 10 years, relaxed regulations for fund transfers, and SEZ-specific duty breaks.
• Achievements: Over 700 firms (including PSUs, banks, multinationals) onboarded; ranked 46th in Global Financial Centres Index, 40th in fintech, top in reputational advantage (GFCI‑37, 2025).

Current Context: In late June 2025, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced halting US funding to Gavi, citing vaccine safety concerns and alleged suppression of alternative viewpoints during COVID-19.

About Gavi?

• A public–private global health partnership established in 2000, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Core partners include WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, governments, NGOs, vaccine manufacturers, and civil society .
• Mission: Enhance equitable, sustainable vaccine access in low‑income countries.

Impact & Achievements

• Over 1 billion children vaccinated since inception .
• 8 million+ future deaths prevented .
• Covered 78 low-income countries, halving child mortality in those nations

Current Context: On June 26, 2025, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, India refused to endorse the joint statement due to omitted terrorism references—primarily the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack—blocked by “one particular country”.

ABOUT SCO SITUATION

• Issue: India insisted on acknowledging terrorism (especially Pahalgam attack) in the joint communique. China, Pakistan, and another member opposed this, resulting in a lack of consensus.
• India’s Stand: Emphasized “One Earth, One Family, One Future” civilizational ethos, calling for explicit terrorist references and accountability for state-sponsored support.

About SCO

• A political, economic, security union of 10 Eurasian countries: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, and the central Asian states.
• Established in 2001 (originating from the “Shanghai Five” in 1996), expanded to full membership in 2017; Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
• Represents ~42% of the world’s population, ~24% of global landmass, and ~23% of world nominal GDP.