17 JUNE 2025 - Daily Current Affairs Updates

TOPIC 1: Srimanta Sankardeva Award 2023 Subtopic: Srimanta Sankardeva’s Cultural Contribution

• Value Addition:

  • Promoted spiritual inclusivity via Neo-Vaishnavism (Ekasarana Dharma).

  • Creator of Ankiya Naat, Bhaona, and Sattriya — India’s 8th classical dance form.

  • Works like Kirtana Ghosha and Gunamala democratized devotional literature.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 1: Indian culture – regional movements, literature, and art forms.

  • Essay: Use in essays on “India’s pluralistic culture” or “Role of saints in social change”.

TOPIC 2: Servants of India Society in News Subtopic: Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s Vision of Nation-Building

• Value Addition:

  • Founded in 1905 to train selfless public servants and promote constitutionalism.

  • Pioneered nationalist journalism (The Hitavada) and political education.

  • Influenced Mahatma Gandhi and early liberal democratic ethos in India.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 2: Indian Political Thought – Pre-independence institutional legacy.

  • GS 1: Modern History – Reformist nationalism.

  • Essay: “The soft revolutionaries who shaped hard change.”
    

TOPIC 3: Offshore Security Coordination Committee (OSCC) Subtopic: India’s Maritime Infrastructure Security

• Value Addition:

  • Established in 1978; chaired by Indian Coast Guard.

  • Ensures threat assessments and multi-agency protection of offshore oil/gas assets.

  • Essential to energy security amid increasing offshore drilling.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: Internal Security – Coastal and energy infrastructure protection.

  • GS 2: Governance – Inter-agency coordination in critical sectors.
    

TOPIC 4: Mouse Deer Conservation Subtopic: Species Revival Success at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park

• Value Addition:

  • First successful captive breeding of Indian Mouse Deer (Chevrotain).

  • Keystone seed disperser in tropical forest ecosystems.

  • Schedule I (WPA 1972); IUCN – Least Concern but ecologically vital.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: Environment – Conservation strategies, indicator species.

  • Essay: “Every species counts – even the smallest.”
    

TOPIC 5: GI Tag for Goa’s Feni (Ozzo Feni) Subtopic: Cultural Heritage and Local Economy

• Value Addition:

  • Cashew-based spirit with Portuguese-era origins (1600s).

  • Artisanal, zero-waste process: traditional distillation + stomping.

  • GI recognition boosts tourism and protects heritage distillers.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 1: Culture – Intangible heritage, regional traditions.

  • GS 3: Economy – Rural enterprise, intellectual property rights.
    

TOPIC 6: AviList – Global Bird Checklist Launched Subtopic: Standardizing Ornithological Taxonomy

• Value Addition:

  • Integrates 11,131 species and ~20,000 subspecies.

  • Developed by BirdLife International, Cornell Lab, and partners.

  • Replaces IOC and Clements checklists for global consistency.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: Environment – Biodiversity documentation.

  • Prelims: Biodiversity indices and conservation tools.
    

TOPIC 7: Solar Orbiter – ESA–NASA Mission Subtopic: Imaging the Sun’s Polar Regions

• Value Addition:

  • First spacecraft to image the Sun’s poles – key to solar cycle understanding.

  • Tracks solar wind, flares, and magnetic reversal patterns.

  • Critical for space weather forecasting and satellite safety.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: S&T – Space missions, space weather, international collaboration.

  • Prelims: Recent science missions and payloads.
    

TOPIC 8: Zero-Coupon Bonds – PFC Withdraws Issue Subtopic: Long-Term Investment Instrument

• Value Addition:

  • Issued at deep discount, redeemed at face value without periodic interest.

  • Ideal for long-term investors, tax-effective under specific provisions.

  • Sensitive to inflation and interest rate changes.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: Economy – Financial markets, bond structures.

  • Essay: “Trust, time, and instruments – building a secure savings culture.”
    

TOPIC 9: RBI Bond Buyback Subtopic: Managing Liquidity in Banking System

• Value Addition:

  • RBI purchases long-term government securities to infuse liquidity.

  • Encourages banks to lend more, lowers yields.

  • Used during low credit demand or to maintain market stability.

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: Economy – Monetary policy tools, RBI functions.

  • Prelims: Open market operations vs. bond buybacks.

TOPIC 10: Mayday Call – Aviation Emergency Term Subtopic: Global Radio Distress Protocol

• Value Addition:

  • “Mayday” = m’aider (French: help me); coined in 1923, standardized in 1927.

  • Repeated thrice for serious, life-threatening emergencies.

  • Reserved radio frequency: 121.5 MHz (civil) and 243 MHz (military).

• Subject Analysis:

  • GS 3: Disaster management – Emergency protocols.

  • Prelims: Communication frequencies and aviation safety.\