KARNATAKA ISSUES

• Gruha Arogya Yojane, launched in 2024 and expanded statewide in June 2025, offers door-to-door NCD screening for citizens aged 30+, now covering 14 diseases. It empowers ASHAs, CHOs, and Medical Officers to ensure early detection, treatment, and follow-up, aiming for affordable, preventive, rural-focused healthcare through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
• A solar-powered EV charging station, inaugurated near Kempegowda International Airport, is India’s first to use second-life batteries. Developed by Bescom and GIZ, it charges 23 vehicles simultaneously with solar energy stored in old car batteries. Featuring 45 KW solar and 100 KWH storage, it offers 24/7 fast and slow charging, benefiting local drivers and travelers.
• The Deen Dayal Upadhyay integrated students’ hostel, inaugurated in Dharwad, is Karnataka’s first inclusive hostel accommodating 1,000 students from diverse social and religious backgrounds.
• The Centre’s approval for excavations at Lakkundi has heightened expectations of uncovering significant archaeological remnants. Previous excavations in 2004-05 yielded important artifacts. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced ongoing excavations and plans to develop an open-air museum, similar to Warangal’s, on land between Nanneshwara temple and the heritage centre, with farmer support. The government aims to include Lakkundi in India’s UNESCO tentative list, with INTACH studying the site to aid the heritage nomination.

POLITY

• The Election Commission of India is introducing a real-time, app-based voter turnout reporting system to address delays and transparency concerns. Presiding Officers will update data every 2 hours via ECINET app, ensuring faster, accurate reporting. This tech-driven move aims to restore public trust and align with Digital India goals.

SOCIAL ISSUES

• India, set to have 40% urban population by 2030, faces critical challenges in infrastructure, transport, and service delivery, despite urban areas contributing around 63% to GDP. To address this, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)—a multilateral institution founded in 1966 with 69 members—has committed $10 billion from 2025–2030 to support India’s urban transformation. With focus on metro expansion, sanitation, transit-oriented development, and capacity-building, ADB aims to modernize 100 cities. ADB raises funds via global bonds and member inputs, with India actively participating. Active in 110+ cities, ADB’s efforts align with inclusive, sustainable development and SDG priorities.
• The ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, a centrally sponsored scheme running from 2022-2027, has helped Goa achieve full literacy, marking a major milestone toward India’s 2030 goal. Targeting adults aged 15 and above who missed formal schooling, ULLAS aims to empower marginalized groups through components like foundational literacy, critical life skills, vocational training, and continuing education. Aligned with NEP 2020, it promotes lifelong learning and volunteerism, utilizing digital tools like the ULLAS app and DIKSHA portal for registration and resource access. Its overarching goal is to make India fully literate and inclusive, fostering societal growth.

GEOGRAPHY

• On June 2, 2025, Mount Etna—Europe’s largest active volcano located in Sicily, Italy—erupted violently, sending a vast ash and smoke plume skyward. Despite its intensity, no injuries, damages, or major flight disruptions occurred. Known for frequent activity, Etna features five summit craters and over 300 flank vents. Its eruptions vary from moderately explosive Strombolian to highly explosive Plinian types. This event underscores the Mediterranean region’s ongoing geological volatility, raising crucial concerns for disaster preparedness, air traffic safety, and volcanic gas impact on climate. The eruption reignites global discussions on volcanic eruption classification and monitoring systems.

SCIENCE

• On May 4, 2025, India released two gene-edited rice varieties—DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa Rice DST1—developed using SDN-1/SDN-2 gene-editing techniques, which involve no foreign DNA insertion. While the Coalition for GM-Free India raised concerns about biosafety and exports, ICAR dismissed them, citing safety, historical consumption, and global acceptance. Unlike mutation breeding, gene editing is precise and poses fewer risks. Over 30 countries, including the EU, consider such crops safe. The rice types are non-Basmati, so export risk is minimal, and India is prioritizing domestic benefits over a small EU market.
• With global warming and declining anthropogenic sulphur emissions, natural sources like Dimethyl Sulphide (DMS)—a sulphur compound produced by oceanic phytoplankton—are gaining attention. DMS contributes ~40% of atmospheric sulphur and aids cloud formation, reflecting sunlight and cooling the Earth. A 2024 study by IITM Pune and European scientists using machine learning and 8 climate models (1850–2100) suggests that despite reduced oceanic DMS, atmospheric levels may rise due to increasing sea temperatures and winds. This challenges earlier models and highlights DMS as a potential dominant sulphur source. The findings are key for India’s climate forecasting, mitigation, and marine policies.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global crisis, potentially costing $1 trillion by 2050. With current antibiotics losing effectiveness, extreme environments like hot springs offer promising grounds for discovering new antibiotic-producing microbes. A recent study by VIT at Rajgir hot springs, Bihar, identified diverse thermophilic bacteria, notably Actinobacteria comprising over 40% of the microbial community. Seven strains showed antimicrobial activity against major pathogens. Using techniques like 16S rRNA metagenomics and GC-MS, researchers isolated Diethyl phthalate—effective against Listeria. This research underscores hot springs’ potential in medicine, industry, and sustainable agriculture through bioactive compounds and thermophile-derived enzymes.
• With India’s urban population projected to hit 850 million by 2051 and rooftop solar (RTS) space constraints limiting scalability, Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) offers a land-neutral, dual-purpose solar solution. BIPV replaces traditional construction materials like glass and tiles with solar panels integrated into facades, roofs, windows, and balconies, enabling power generation without extra space. Though India has a few pilot projects, its BIPV potential is 309 GW. Key challenges include high initial costs, policy voids, and lack of awareness. The way forward involves financial incentives, inclusion in building codes, and indigenous manufacturing through policy, training, and pilot innovation.
• BharatGen is India’s first government-backed multimodal Large Language Model (LLM), developed under NM-ICPS at IIT Bombay and supported by DST. Built to process text, speech, and images in 22 Indian languages, it aligns with PM Modi’s “Techade” vision of innovation-driven inclusion. BharatGen empowers sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance by promoting regional language AI access, reducing reliance on foreign models, and fostering grassroots entrepreneurship. Integrated with national policies like Digital India and NEP 2020, it also supports 25+ Tech Hubs and youth via AI hackathons, ensuring ethical, culturally rooted, and inclusive digital transformation for all of Bharat.
• India is set to build its first indigenously developed Polar Research Vessel (PRV) through an MoU between Kolkata’s GRSE and Norway’s Kongsberg, enhancing India’s polar and ocean research capabilities. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal emphasized this as a milestone supporting scientific progress, sustainability, and the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

MISCELLANEOUS

• A significant discovery at Raigad Fort—capital of the Maratha Empire under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj—has brought to light a rare astrolabe, or Yantraraj, highlighting India’s rich scientific heritage. Excavations led by ASI and the Raigad Development Authority unearthed this 1597 CE instrument near Kushavarta Lake. Crafted with Sanskrit and Devanagari inscriptions, and animal motifs denoting directions, the rectangular device showcases advanced astronomical knowledge during the Maratha era. Though found earlier, the discovery was recently announced, with plans to exhibit it in a Mumbai museum. This reinforces Raigad’s historic and scientific relevance in Indian history.
• The Indian Premier League (IPL), initiated by BCCI in 2008, stands as the richest T20 league globally, blending sports, entertainment, and business. Valued over $11 billion, it boosts India’s economy, regional identity, and infrastructure. IPL 2025 featured 10 teams and 74 matches, concluding at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, where RCB defeated PBKS to end their 18-year title drought. Standout performers included Sai Sudharsan (Orange Cap, Emerging Player), Prasidh Krishna (Purple Cap), and Suryakumar Yadav (MVP). Krunal Pandya earned Player of the Final, and CSK won the Fair Play Award, highlighting IPL’s broad sporting and social impact
• Thailand’s Suchata ‘Opal’ Chuangsri was crowned Miss World in Hyderabad
• Olympian Srihari Nataraj set a new best Indian time in the men’s 200m freestyle, winning gold at the Singapore Championships with 1:48.66. The 24-year-old, an Olympian, also earned silver in the 100m freestyle, breaking the previous record of 1:49.73.