KARNATAKA

• Karnataka is the third busiest Indian state for air travel after Delhi and Maharashtra, with 2.3 million seats and an 11% market share in June 2025, according to OAG data. The capacity increased by 13% compared to June 2024. Delhi remains the busiest state with 3.6 million seats, though its capacity declined by 2%. Maharashtra follows with 3.5 million seats. Bengaluru’s airport ranks third in domestic capacity, with 1.8 million seats, a 9% increase from last year, and features four routes in India’s top 10 domestic flights. However, Bengaluru does not appear in the top 10 international routes.
• Senior IAS officer Akram Pasha took charge as the managing director (MD) of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in the city

POLITY

• The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in September 2023 as the 128th Constitutional Amendment, mandates one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. However, its implementation is linked to delimitation, which will occur after the first Census post-2026, as per the freeze instituted by the 42nd and 84th Amendments. Articles 82 and 170(3) guide the readjustment of constituencies through a Delimitation Act. With the 2021 Census delayed to 2025, delimitation is likely by 2027, enabling reservation by the 2029 elections. This reform aims to empower women and potentially increase total parliamentary seats.
• The Centre revised the Foreigners Identification Portal (FIP) procedure, urging States/UTs to use district-level fingerprint scanners under the IVFRT system. NAFIS is a nationwide database of criminal fingerprints, designed to help law enforcement quickly identify criminals and link them to ongoing cases. It assigns a unique 10-digit ID to each criminal, capturing biometric data for life. Managed by NCRB, NAFIS enables real-time tracing and retrieval of criminal information across India.

SOCIAL ISSUES

• ESIC Sanath Nagar, Hyderabad, has become a model in public healthcare and medical education, serving over 72.6 lakh insured persons. Spanning 21 acres with future expansion, it offers 1,044 beds, advanced specialties like cardiology, nephrology, neuro-surgery, and high-end interventions. Accredited with NABH, NABL, and ISO, it leads in quality standards. The campus leverages IT solutions like PACS, online consultations, and 5G ambulances. It trains over 125 MBBS, 83 MD/MS students, and paramedics, fostering innovation, research, and leadership. Recognized as a benchmark, it exemplifies government commitment to accessible, high-quality public health services

ECONOMY

• The government has capped spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at 60% of its annual allocation for the first half of FY 2025-26. This means only Rs 51,600 crore will be available for the scheme until September. The Finance Ministry introduced this spending limit, despite the Rural Development Ministry’s objections. The cap may impact employment generation due to pending liabilities of Rs 21,000 crore from the previous year. The scheme’s allocation is Rs 86,000 crore, with a labour budget of 198.86 crore persondays. The Centre has released 28.47% of the allocation, and officials have raised questions about pending liabilities from the previous year. The scheme’s demand has declined since the Covid-19 outbreak, with 5.79 crore families employed in 2024-25.
• SEBI plans to implement a structured UPI address mechanism for its registered intermediaries to address the rise of unregistered entities misleading investors. The initiative introduces a unique “@valid” handle, allocated exclusively by NPCI, to enhance investor security and prevent illegal money collection. NPCI, which manages the UPI platform, will assign certified handles for payment collection. Intermediaries will select clear usernames with category-specific suffixes: ‘.brk’ for stockbrokers and ‘.mf’ for mutual funds. This system aims to strengthen transparency and trust in the securities market.
• According to rbi.org.in, NEFT is an electronic fund transfer system where transactions received up to a designated time are processed in batches, whereas RTGS processes transactions continuously throughout the day on a transaction-by-transaction basis. RTGS has no amount cap set by RBI and operates 24x7x365, enabling real-time fund transfer to the beneficiary’s account. Remitters do not need to use physical cheques or demand drafts, and beneficiaries are not required to visit bank branches for depositing paper instruments. This system facilitates seamless, instant fund transfers at any time.
• India’s retail inflation fell below 3% in May to 2.82%, the lowest in over six years, driven by a sharp decline in food prices—vegetables (-13.7%), pulses (-8.2%), and spices (-2.82%). Food inflation dropped to 0.99%. The RBI recently cut the repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.5%, supporting growth amid benign inflation. Despite overall moderation, core inflation remains sticky at 4.2%. Rural inflation is lower at 2.6%, indicating recovery in rural demand. Analysts expect the RBI to pause rate hikes until December 2025, closely monitoring incoming data.
• The RBI has eased KYC norms to enhance customer convenience, as per a circular released on June 12. Banks now have until June 2026 or within a year to update KYC for ‘low risk’ flagged customers. A new Video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP) allows KYC upload via video, aiding onboarding and updates. Banks are encouraged to involve banking correspondents and conduct outreach in semi-urban and rural areas. This move aims to address issues of inoperative accounts and improve access to financial services, especially for beneficiaries of schemes like PMJDY and DBT, by simplifying KYC procedures while ensuring safety.

ENVIRONMENT

• A Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), a semi-aquatic carnivorous mammal once thought extinct in Kashmir, was recently spotted in the Lidder River, marking its third confirmed sighting in 2024. Known for its dense water-repellent fur, webbed feet, and elusive nature, this species inhabits rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Its return is seen as an indicator of improving aquatic ecosystems. Once common in Kashmir (locally called Vuder), its numbers declined due to pollution and illegal fur hunting. Currently listed as Near Threatened by IUCN and protected under Schedule II of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, it also features in Kashmiri folklore.
• Mizoram’s capital Aizawl has been connected to the Indian Railways network for the first time via the 51.38-km Bairabi–Sairang line, with the final Hortoki–Sairang stretch cleared in June 2025. This milestone, aligning with Indian Railways’ mission to connect all North-East capitals, includes 48 tunnels, 142 bridges, and India’s tallest railway bridge pier (104 m). Sairang, 20 km from Aizawl, replaces Bairabi as the key railhead. Mizoram becomes the fourth NE state capital with rail connectivity. As of April 2024, 18 major NE rail projects are ongoing, with ₹40,549 crore spent. Meghalaya remains unlinked due to local opposition.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare plans to establish CROPIC (Collection of Real-Time Observations and Photos of Crops), an AI-based project to monitor crop health through field photos. Crops will be photographed four to five times during their lifecycle to assess health and potential losses, initially covering kharif 2025 and rabi 2025-26 seasons. Farmers will crowdsource photos via a mobile app, which will be analyzed by an AI-powered cloud platform. CROPIC aims to improve crop monitoring, stress detection, and automate crop loss assessments, enhancing farmers’ financial resilience.
• The Blue NDC Challenge was launched at the third UN Ocean Conference to enhance ocean-focused climate actions. Initiated by France and Brazil, it urges countries to include ocean-related measures in their NDCs ahead of COP30 in Brazil. Six countries—Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and Seychelles—joined this effort, supported by organizations like Ocean Conservancy and WWF-Brazil. NDCs are national climate plans under the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C, with efforts to stay within 1.5°C. The initiative promotes stronger ocean-climate integration to address climate change impacts

MISCALLENEOUS

• The 19th Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum assesses 148 countries across economic participation, education, health, and political empowerment. Global gender parity stands at 68.8%, with Iceland topping for the 16th year. While health (96.2%) and education (95.1%) gaps are nearly closed, economic (61%) and political (22.9%) gaps remain wide. India ranks 131 with a 64.1% parity score—improvements in education and income, but setbacks in political representation. At the current pace, global parity is 123 years away. Related indices include GII, GDI, GGPI, and WEI, offering complementary insights into gender-based disparities worldwide.
• The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2024 was awarded jointly to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Henry Roberts Johnson and James A. Robinson “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.”
• Wimbledon prize money will increase by seven percent to a record pot of £53.5 million for this year’s championships as pressure grows from players for a greater slice of Grand Slam profits. The winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles will each receive £3 million, an increase of more than 11 % on 2024, while a main draw spot is worth a minimum of £66,000, up 10 %.
• World Day Against Child Labour, observed annually on June 12, since 2002 by ILO, highlights the urgent need to protect children from exploitation and ensure their rights. The 2025 theme is “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do,” emphasizing the need to accelerate efforts to end child labour. Globally, nearly 138 million children are engaged in child labour, with Africa and Asia most affected. In India, approximately 10.1 million children worked in 2011, a decrease from 2001, but poverty and lack of education remain key drivers of child labour.
• The Indian Army contingent reached Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the Multinational Military Exercise KHAAN QUEST, which is scheduled to be conducted from 14th to 28th June 2025.
• Sri Lanka celebrated Poson Poya on June 10–11, 2025, marking over 2,000 years since Buddhism’s arrival. The festival commemorates Arahat Mahinda’s introduction of Buddhism in the 3rd century BCE at Mihintale, a pivotal event shaping Sri Lankan culture and religion. Celebrated nationwide, major observances occur at Mihintale and Anuradhapura, featuring offerings, meditation, lantern displays, and community activities promoting non-violence and unity. Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, emphasizes enlightenment through ethical living, meditation, and wisdom. Its arrival transformed Sri Lanka into a major Theravāda Buddhist center, fostering spiritual and cultural growth