NATIONAL NEWS

India Celebrates 10 Years of International Day of Yoga

To mark the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Yoga (IDY), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh has been chosen as the national venue for the 11th edition on June 21, 2025.

A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Ayush and the Andhra Pradesh government conducted a detailed field review to ensure preparedness, aiming to further Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of taking yoga benefits to the grassroots level.

Theme for the event is “Yoga for One Earth, One Health” emphasizing holistic well-being and environmental harmony.

Andhra Pradesh’s flagship campaign targeting over 2 crore citizens through awareness drives, yoga camps, and training 20 lakh certified practitioners to promote yoga as a daily habit.

IDY was declared by the UN in 2014, first celebrated in 2015, and is observed annually on June 21 (summer solstice), growing into a global health movement.

Kamlesh Paswan Inaugurates Agri-Drone Indigenization Hub

Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan inaugurated India’s first Agri-Drone Indigenization Facility by Garuda Aerospace in Chennai.

Along with this, he launched 300 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and flagged off the DGCA-approved Train the Trainer (TTT) programme, boosting India's move toward becoming a Global Drone Hub by 2030.

The facility focuses on design, manufacturing, and testing of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), promoting self-reliance in drone technology.

Train the Trainer (TTT) Programme was approved by the DGCA. This certified skilling programme aims to create drone instructors across the country, enhancing rural employability and empowering women through initiatives like Drone Didis.

It was established in partnership with academic and industry stakeholders, these CoEs will support drone innovation, R&D, and skill development.

These initiatives are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2022 vision to produce 1 lakh Made-in-India drones and develop a robust domestic ecosystem by 2026.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UN Declares 4 December as International Day Against Coercive Measures

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution to observe the 4th of December every year as the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures.

The first International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures will be observed in 2025.

The resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly says that the day has been established to create global awareness about the adverse effects of the unilateral coercive measures adopted by one country against another.

Unilateral coercive measures and legislation adopted by one country against another are against international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States.

The unilateral coercive measure also hampers a developing country from achieving full economic and social development.

Observing the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures aims to promote greater international cooperation and solidarity among countries in addressing the adverse consequences of such measures, especially on developing countries.

The Day also urges countries not to impose unilateral coercive measures on other countries.

Global Anti-Terror Financing Body FATF Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack

The global anti-money laundering and anti -terrorist financing body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir on 22 April 2025, in which 26 tourists were killed. The terror attack was claimed by the Resistance Front (TRF), which is a front organisation of the banned Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

On the night of 6 and 7th May 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor to destroy the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The FATF rarely issues condemnations of terrorist acts, and it is only the third time in the last decade that they have condemned a terrorist attack.

Though FATF has not named any country in its statement, India has clearly stated its intent to take up terror funding charges against Pakistan to make a case for putting it back in the FATF ‘grey list’.

Pakistan was taken off the FATF Grey list in October 2022.

United Nations (UN) Declares 2026 as International Year of the Woman Farmer

The United Nations General Assembly has officially designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, spotlighting the essential but often unrecognized contributions of women in agriculture worldwide.

Globally, women contribute nearly 50% of the food supply, representing 60% to 80% of food production in developing nations and accounting for 39% of the agricultural workforce in South Asia.

Nearly 80% of rural women are engaged in agriculture.

According to the 2011 Census, India has 3.6 crore women farmers and 6.15 crore women agricultural labourers.

Women constitute 33% of the total agricultural labour force and 48% of self-employed farmers.

With increasing male migration, women are taking charge of farm operations, leading to the feminisation of Indian agriculture.

Women are also key players in agricultural extension services, information sharing, and community-based natural resource management.

 

BANKING

MSC Bank Sets Up Country's First Cyber Security Operations Centre

Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSC Bank) has launched India’s first Cyber-Security Operations Centre (C-SOC) specifically for cooperative banks.

The facility, named Sahakar Suraksha, is located in Vashi, Navi Mumbai and was established with an investment of ₹50 crore.

It offers round-the-clock cybersecurity monitoring using AI-enabled systems and is operated by a team of 35 cybersecurity professionals.

The centre currently serves 31 district central cooperative banks in Maharashtra, free of charge.

The C-SOC has already prevented a major cyberattack on a bank in Sindhudurg by issuing an early alert.

Over 1 million cyberattacks have been reported across cooperative banks, with some individual incidents causing losses of up to ₹50 crore.

In addition to threat monitoring, the C-SOC provides cyber hygiene training, security audits, and digital security policy support to member banks.

This initiative helps cooperative banks meet RBI guidelines and comply with Supreme Court directives on protecting depositor funds.

MSC Bank’s model sets an example for other states to replicate for strengthening rural and cooperative bank security nationwide.

IOB Launches ''Locate IOB'' Initiative

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has launched a new digital feature called ‘Locate IOB’, aimed at helping customers easily find the nearest branches and ATMs.

The web-based service allows users to search for IOB locations, access IFSC codes,get step-by-step directions, and call branches directly through an integrated interface.

The feature allows the bank customers to access IOB’s new location tool directly at the http://locate.job.inportal or at the bank’s website iob.in.

This tool is part of the bank’s effort to improve customer convenience amid growing reliance on smartphones and digital services.

It is designed to offer a seamless experience, eliminating the need for users to switch between mapping platforms when planning a visit to a branch or looking for transaction details.

By offering real-time access to branch information and support, ‘Locate IOB’ is expected to reduce service bottlenecks and enhance customer satisfaction.

Indusind Bank Extends Its INDIE Super-App To 15 Million Customers

IndusInd Bank has rolled out its hyper-personalised financial super-app, ‘INDIE’, to all existing retail banking customers.

The initiative aims to migrate over 15 million accounts to a unified, digital-first platform offering savings, FDs, loans, credit cards, mutual funds, and more.

INDIE combines enhanced security with the ability to perform everyday banking transactions through a fully digital, branchless onboarding process, featuring industry-first innovations such as the Numberless Debit Card, Virtual Single-Use Card, and Dynamic ATM PINs.

The app has already attracted 1.4 million new users, with a 50% monthly active user rate, outperforming the industry average of 40%.

According to Charu Sachdeva Mathur, Head of Digital Banking & Strategy (Existing Business), INDIE reflects the bank's innovation-led strategy focused on security and convenience.

The app offers zero forex markup, up to 3% rewards on select spending, complimentary airport lounge access, and smart deposit tools like interest-linked savings and auto-sweep features.

Customers can access a flexible credit line up to ₹5 lakh, integrated within the app and tailored to individual financial behaviour.

Poonawalla Fincorp Unveils Fully Digital MSME Lending Platform

Poonawalla Fincorp Limited (PFL), a Cyrus Poonawalla Group NBFC, has launched Business Loan 24/7, targeting MSME credit needs.

The loan solution is backed by a digital risk assessment model designed specifically for self-employed individuals and MSMEs.

It offers instant loan approvals, flexible repayment options, and uses a risk-first approach for better credit evaluation.

The entire journey is fully digital, enabled through a Straight Through Processing (STP) model—removing the need for physical paperwork or branch visits.

The solution integrates advanced analytics and source-based digital information to assess creditworthiness beyond traditional financial parameters.

This offering aims to ensure faster, more accurate, and responsible lending to growth-ready small businesses.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

NitroCapt’s Green Fertiliser Wins $2M Food Planet Prize 2025

Swedish startup NitroCapt has won the 2025 Food Planet Prize, the world’s largest environmental award, for developing a fossil-free green fertiliser that uses plasma and renewable energy to extract nitrogen from air.

This groundbreaking innovation can drastically cut emissions from fertiliser production and strengthen global food security.

The award recognizes solutions that transform food systems with lower environmental impact

NitroCapt uses plasma to oxidise nitrogen, powered entirely by green electricity

It eliminates fossil fuel use and reduces energy consumption by 90%

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed annually on 17 June to raise awareness on land degradation and promote sustainable land management.

It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 after adopting the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The 2025 theme is “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities.”, emphasizing the need to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.

The observance traces back to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which identified desertification, climate change, and biodiversity loss as major threats.

The UNCCD is the only legally binding international agreement linking environment, development, and land.

India’s initiatives include restoring 26 million hectares by 2030, supported by the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (NAPCD) 2023, incorporating programs like CAMPA, Green India Mission, and Forest Fire Management.

India also promotes carbon sequestration and hosts a Centre of Excellence in Dehradun for global knowledge exchange on land restoration.