Current Context: On 4 June 2025, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Ashwani Lohani—former CMD of Air India and ex-Chairman of the Railway Board—as the new Director of the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) for a three-year term.

About

• Profile: Former CMD of Air India and Chairman of Railway Board
• Term: 3 years
• PMML:
  • Established in 1966 (formerly Teen Murti Bhavan)
  • Preserves the legacy of Indian Prime Ministers through exhibitions and research
  • Autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture

Leadership:

• President: PM Narendra Modi
• Vice President: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
• Executive Chair: Nripendra Misra

Current Context : Annalena Baerbock, a former German Foreign Minister will preside over the 80^th UNGA session (9 September 2025–8 September 2026) as the first woman from Western European and Others Group (WEOG) and among the youngest ever.

ABOUT UNGA Presidency:

• Rotation: By regional group; 80th session allotted to Western European and Others Group (WEOG).
• Term: 9 September 2025–8 September 2026.
• Significance:First woman from WEOG; among youngest UNGA presidents
• Background:Born in 1980, educated at LSE (LLM)

About UN general assembly (UNGA)

• Membership: 193 member states
• Functions: Policy deliberation, adoption of UN budget, and global recommendations
• Presidency: Rotates annually among 5 groups; elected via secret ballot
• Historical Note: Baerbock becomes 5th woman ever to hold the post (first was Angie Brooks of Liberia in 1969).

Current Context : Lee Jae-myung , former Gyeonggi Province governor and Democratic Party leader has been elected President of South Korea with 49.42% votes..

Predecessor: Yoon Suk Yeol (impeached late 2024 for martial law decree).
Term: 5 years, single term limit.

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

• Capital:
• Population: Approximately 52 million (2025 estimate).
• Government Type: Unitary presidential republic; president serves as both head of state and government.
• Economy: 4th largest in Asia; key sectors include electronics (Samsung, LG), automotive (Hyundai, Kia), shipbuilding, and IT services.

Current Context : Indian Navy and European Union Naval Force conducted a joint exercise off India’s western coast to practice counter-piracy drills and improve coordination at sea from 1–3 June 2025.

About

Location: Arabian Sea (western Indian coast).

• Participating nations :
  • Indian Navy: Destroyers, frigates, maritime patrol aircraft.
  • EUNAVFOR: ITS Antonio Marceglia (Cmdr. Alberto Bartolomeo), ESPS Reina Sofia (Cmdr. Salvador Moreno Regil) with helicopter support.
• Key Activities: Counter-piracy drills (boarding, interdiction), interoperability exercises (communication protocols, fleet manoeuvres), and rescue simulations.
• Strategic Significance: Strengthens India–EU maritime collaboration, deters non-traditional threats, and improves maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region.

Current Context : The Jan Aushadhi Kendra (JAK) Experiential Learning Program is a new initiative launched by the Government of India under the “Seva Se Seekhen: Learn by Doing” campaign.

• This 15-day programme embeds five youth volunteers per district in Jan Aushadhi Kendras to gain hands-on experience in generic medicine distribution and public health outreach.

ABOUT

• Objective: Develop soft (communication, empathy, discipline) and technical (inventory, logistics) skills while promoting affordable generic medicines.
• Implementing Agencies: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (coordination), Department of Pharmaceuticals (domain guidance), PMBJP via PMBI (JAK oversight).
• Coverage: Five volunteers in each district’s JAK; targeted nationwide rollout across all States and UTs.

Current Context : India is set to conduct its next population census by March 1, 2027.

Announced on 4 June 2025: The 16th Census will be digital, conducted in two phases, and include caste enumeration (first since 1931).

About Census :

• Constitutional & Legal Framework:
  1. Conducted under: Census Act, 1948 & Census Rules, 1990.
  2. Last full census carried out in 2011; the 2021 exercise was postponed due to COVID-19.
• Phases & Reference Dates:
  1. Phase I (House Listing):
     • Timeline: April 1, 2026 – February 28, 2026 (approx.).
     • Activities: Listing all buildings; collection of housing & ancillary information; National Population Register (NPR) update (digital).
  2. Phase II (Population Enumeration):
     • Timeline: March 1 – March 31, 2027 (most states).
     • Snow-bound Areas (Ladakh, parts of J&K, HP, Uttarakhand): Reference date: October 1, 2026.
  3. First Digital Census:
     • Enumerators will use a mobile application for data collection.

Historic Significance: First caste count since 1931; crucial for mapping socio-political dynamics.

• First Census: Conducted in 1872 (under British Raj) as a house-to-house headcount; not fully decennial.
• First Decennial Census: Began in 1881, with subsequent exercises every ten years.

Current Context : Recently, Mount Etna produced an explosive eruption and sent a huge ash cloud to about 21,300 feet (6,500 m), smoke and rock fragments into the sky.

About Mount Etna

• Location : Active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy (Metropolitan City of Catania).
• Elevation: ~3,403 m (varies after eruptions). Highest peak in Italy south of the Alps; one of Europe’s most active volcanoes.
• Type: Strombolian—moderately explosive bursts caused by gas pockets rising through magma.
• Geological Significance:
  • Age: 350,000–500,000 years.
  • UNESCO Heritage: Designated in 2013; eruptive record traced back ~500,000 years with ~2,700 years of documented activity.

Current Context : The central government launched the Umeed portal for registration of Waqf properties.

ABOUT

• Full Form: Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED).
• Purpose: Centralised digital platform for registering and managing all Waqf properties in India to enhance transparency and accountability.
• Legal Backdrop: Enacted under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 which:
  • Abolishes the “waqf-by-user” doctrine.
  • Prohibits unilateral declaration of government land as Waqf.
  • Mandates complete digitisation and centralised registration within six months of portal launch.
• Administrative Oversight:
  • Central Waqf Council (CWC): Statutory advisory body under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, established in 1964 to oversee Waqf Board functions.
  • State Waqf Boards: Responsible for facilitating on-ground verification and registration.

Current Context : On 5 June 2025 (World Environment Day), the Aravalli Green Wall Project was officially launched to restore degraded land along the 670 km Aravalli Range (Gujarat → Delhi).

About Aravalli Range

• Geography : One of the oldest fold mountains globally, running ~ 670 km from Delhi through Haryana, Rajasthan, ending in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Highest Peak: Guru Shikhar (Mount Abu) at 1,722 m.
• States Covered: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi.
• Composition: Primarily metamorphic rocks (gneiss, granite, schist); rich in minerals (copper, zinc, lead, marble).
• Role: Acts as a barrier against Thar Desert expansion.
• Rivers Originating: Banas, Luni, Sakhi, Sabarmati (tributaries feeding major basins).
• Biodiversity: Contains wildlife sanctuaries and national parks (e.g., Sariska NP, Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, Mount Abu Sanctuary).

Aravalli Green Wall Project

• Objective : Create a 5 km-wide green buffer over 45 million hectares (Gujarat → Delhi) by 2027 to combat desertification and land degradation.
• Scope :Total target: Restore 1 million hectares of degraded land by establishing a continuous “green wall” along Aravalli hills.
• Modelled On: Africa’s Great Green Wall – aims to check desertification through contiguous afforestation.

Current Context : The 18^th  edition of the Indian Premier League ran from 22 March  featuring 10 teams concluded on 3 June 2025.

Key Outcomes & Awards of 2025

• Champions: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their first IPL title in 2025.
  • Prize Money: ₹20 Crore (~ $2.4 million).
• Runners-up: Punjab Kings – ₹13 Crore (~ $1.5 million).
• Orange Cap: Sai Sudarshan (RBs) – 759 runs in 15 matches; Prize: ₹10 Lakh (~ $12,000).
• Purple Cap: Prasidh Krishna (RCB) – 25 wickets in 15 matches; Prize: ₹10 Lakh (~ $12,000).
• Emerging Player: Sai Sudharsan (GT); Prize: ₹20 Lakh (~ $24,000).
• MVP (Most Valuable Player): Suryakumar Yadav (MI) – 320.5 points; Prize: ₹10 Lakh (~ $12,000).
• Super Striker: Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – 206.6 strike rate; Prize: ₹10 Lakh (~ $12,000).
• Maximum Sixes: Nicholas Pooran (LSG) – 40 sixes; Prize: ₹10 Lakh (~ $12,000).
• Maximum Fours: Sai Sudharsan (GT) – 88 fours.
• Final Player of the Match: Krunal Pandya – 2/17 in 4 overs; Prize: ₹5 Lakh (~ $6,000).

About IPL

• Founded in 2008 by the BCCI as a franchise-based Twenty20 league.
• Annual marquee event in Indian cricket, blending entertainment and sport.