Current Context : At the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Munich 2025, Indian duo Arjun Babuta and Arya Borse won gold in the 10 m Air Rifle Mixed Team event, defeating China’s pair 17–7 in the final.

ABOUT ISSF WORLD CUP

• Competition Cycle: Annual series of World Cups; top performers qualify for Olympic rankings.
• Event Format (Mixed Team 10 m Air Rifle):
  • Teams of one male and one female shooter.
  • Qualification: 40 shots per team member; top two teams reach medal match.
  • Final: “Shoot‑off” format with scoring pairs against each other per series.

Current Context : Recently, a cholera outbreak in Jajpur, Odisha, in June 2025 has resulted in 5 deaths and around 500 hospitalisations, prompting deployment of a 14‑member central medical team for containment.

About Cholera

• Cause: Bacterium Vibrio cholerae, typically through contaminated water or food.
• Symptoms: Profuse watery diarrhoea, vomiting, rapid dehydration; can be fatal within hours if untreated.
• Transmission: Fecal‑oral route; even asymptomatic carriers can spread infection.
• Preventive Measures:
  • Boiled/treated drinking water; chlorination of wells and hand‑pumps.
  • Health education on sanitation and hygiene.
  • Vaccination (where available) in high‑risk areas.

Current Context : For the first half of Financial Year 2025–26, the Ministry of Finance has imposed a 60 percent spending cap on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to manage persistent budget overruns and pending wage dues.

About MGNREGS Spending Cap

• Scheme Background
  • Established in 2005, guarantees 100 days of wage employment per rural household per year.
  • Demand‑driven: rural families can register and request work at any time.
• Rationale for Cap
  • Historically, 70 percent+ of the annual budget is spent by September, leading to pending dues of ₹15,000–25,000 crore at year‑end.
  • Cap ensures fund availability in the second half and reduces reliance on ad‑hoc supplementary allocations.
• Financial Details
  • Budget for 2025–26: ₹86,000
  • Release by June 2025: 28 percent (≈₹24,080 crore).
  • Pending dues from 2024–25: ~₹19,200 crore (≈22 percent of current budget).

Current Context : The Reserve Bank of India released draft Master Directions on Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives, updating guidelines last revised in 2019 to align with market evolution and enhance non‑resident participation.

ABOUT INTEREST RATE DERIVATIVES

• Definition: Financial contracts whose value is derived from underlying rupee‑denominated interest rates or indices.
• Common Instruments:
  • Swaps: Exchange fixed and floating rate cash flows.
  • Futures: Standardised contracts to buy/sell debt instruments at a future date.
  • Options (Caps/Floors/Collars): Rights to cap or floor interest payments within agreed bands.
• Key Draft Provisions:
  • Non‑Resident Access: Permits non‑residents to trade via their central treasuries or group entities with proper authorisation.
  • Reporting & Authorisation: Mandates trade reporting, user authorisations, and risk‑management safeguards.

Current Context : Iran’s parliament began drafting legislation that could see it withdraw from the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT), following a critical International Atomic Energy Agency report and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities.

About NonProliferation Treaty (NPT)

• Entry into Force: 1970, under United Nations auspices, to curb spread of nuclear weapons.

 Key Obligations:

• NonNuclearWeapon States: No acquisition or development of nuclear arsenals.
• NuclearWeapon States: Gradual disarmament and no transfer of weapons or technology.
• All Parties: Right to peaceful nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards.
• Membership: 191 States Parties; nonsignatories include India, Pakistan, Israel; North Korea withdrew in 2003.
• Enforcement: IAEA monitors compliance; UN Security Council can impose sanctions for violations.

Current Context : The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/79/L.93, proclaiming 4  December each year, starting in 2025, as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures.

• Proclamation & Vote : Resolution passed with 116 votes in favour, 51 against, and 6
• Objective : To raise awareness of humanitarian and developmental impacts of unilateral economic, financial, and trade sanctions that contravene international law and the UN
• Legal Basis : Aligns with Article 41 of the UN Charter, which reserves economic measures to those multilaterally authorized by the Security Council.

Observed annually on 19 June, since 2008.

• Aim : Raise global awareness of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and its physical, social, and economic burdens on patients and families.

About Disease :

• Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder caused by a mutation in the β‑globin gene, leading to sickle‑shaped red blood cells, chronic anaemia, pain crises, and organ damage.
• WHO estimates 20–25 million people live with SCD worldwide, with highest prevalence in sub‑Saharan Africa, India, Middle East, and Mediterranean.

Current Context : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu set November 2026 as the firm deadline for completing the 450 MW Shongtong‑Karcham run‑of‑river hydroelectric project on the Satluj River in Kinnaur district.

About Shongtong‑Karcham Project

• Type & Location: Run‑of‑river hydroelectric plant on the Satluj River, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh.
• Capacity: 3 × 150 MW Francis turbines (total 450 MW); annual generation ~1,594
• Engineering Specs:
  • Gross head: 128.57 m; net head: 126.58
  • Penstocks: Three steel conduits, each 5.1 m in diameter, channel water from intake to turbines.
• Ownership & Execution: Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited; Special Purpose Vehicle for project execution.
• Economic Impact: Expected annual revenue ~₹1,000 crore post‑commissioning; boosts state’s renewable portfolio.

Current Context : India’s first agentic artificial intelligence system, Kruti, was launched by Krutrim Technologies, capable of autonomous decision‑making and task execution.

About Kruti

• It is an AI systems that autonomously plan, decide, and act in changing environments without human prompts.
• Capabilities:
  • Multi‑source data ingestion for situational analysis.
  • Task automation (cab booking, bill payments, report generation).
  • Adaptive learning from interactions and outcomes.

Current Context : The Defence Cyber Agency of India launched the Cyber Suraksha exercise under the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters, involving over 100 participants from national security agencies and defence services.

About Cyber Suraksha

• Duration & Organisers: 16–27 June 2025; led by the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) under Integrated Defence Staff.
• Participants: >100 cyber warriors from Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, National Security Agency, CERT‑In, and other agencies.
• Phases:
  • Training Modules: Hands‑on workshops on threat intelligence, malware analysis, and incident response.
  • Simulated Attacks: Live exercises replicating phishing, ransomware, and supply‑chain breaches.
  • Leadership Capsule: Senior‐level war‑games to test decision‑making and inter‑agency coordination.
• Objectives:
  • Strengthen national cyber resilience and defensive posture.
  • Evaluate analytical, forensic, and response skills under real‑world scenarios.
  • Foster collaboration across defence and civilian cyber stakeholders.