Daily Current Affairs – 22-06-2025
Tamil Nadu
RBI to Issue ₹ 20 Banknotes with New Governor’s Signature
® The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue ₹ 20 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series, bearing the signature of Sanjay Malhotra, the newly appointed Governor of RBI. ® The design and features of the banknotes will remain the same as the existing ₹ 20 notes in circulation.
S Mahendra Dev Appointed Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to
the PM
® Economist S Mahendra Dev has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). ® He resigned from his role as an independent director on the board of Axis Bank following this appointment. ® Currently, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery heads the EAC-PM.
ECI Introduces Automated Voter Turnout Reporting via ECINET App
® The Election Commission of India (ECI) will roll out a new automated voter turnout reporting feature through the ECINET mobile app, starting with the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. ® The app enables presiding officers (PROs) to directly enter voter turnout data every two hours, eliminating manual collation and delays. ® Constituency-wise turnout will now be calculated and displayed automatically for public access. ® This replaces the current process of reporting via phone or message to sector officers. ® As per Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, PROs are mandated to submit Form 17C detailing polling figures
Madras High Court
Upholds Night Ban on Real Money Online Games
® Upheld Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority’s ban on Real Money Games (RMG) between 12 AM and 5 AM ® Mandatory Aadhaar verification for RMG players also upheld ® Court affirmed State’s legislative power under Entry 6 and Entry 26 of List II (Seventh Schedule) ® 2025 Regulations deemed a response to public health concerns, aligned with Article 39 of DPSP ® Restrictions considered reasonable and protected under Articles 19(2) and 19(6) of the Constitution
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
50 years of National Emergency
This year marks the beginning of the 50th year since the imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975. It was proclaimed after the judgment of the Allahabad High Court on June 12, 1975. The court nullified the election to the Lok Sabha of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1971. The 21-month-long saga of Emergency was lifted on March 21, 1977. National Emergency is proclaimed by the President under Article 352 when the security of India or a part of it is threatened by War, External Aggression (external emergency), or Armed Rebellion (internal emergency). It continues for 6 months, and can be extended to indefinite period with approval of Parliament for every 6 months. The 38th Amendment Act of 1975 allowed the President to issue the Emergency proclamations on the very grounds of war, external aggression, armed rebellion, or imminent danger thereof. But, the 44th Amendment Act of 1978 replaced “the internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion”.
First recorded strike in the cotton mills of South India
By 1892, the very famous Madura Mills, a British-owned cotton spinning mill, was established in Madurai. Madurai women staged the first recorded strike in the cotton mills of South India. This strike, from April 14 to June 10, 1920, was the first recorded strike in the cotton mills of South India. The formation of the Communist Party and the All-India Trade Union Congress in 1920 further strengthened the demand for workers’ rights.
Captain Cook’s Long-Lost Ship
After 250 years, the long-lost ship of Captain James Cook, HMS Endeavour, has been discovered off the coast of Newport Harbour, Rhode Island of USA. Originally the first European vessel to reach eastern Australia (1768-1771). It was later renamed as Lord Sandwich and sank during the American War of Independence in 1778.
FASTag annual pass
The Union government will introduce a FASTag-based annual pass for the private vehicles, priced at Rs 3,000. This pass has been introduced for non-commercial private vehicles. It will be valid for either a period of one year or 200 trips, whichever comes first. A dedicated link for activation and renewal will soon be made available on the Raj Marg Yatra App.
STATES’ NEWS
Wind Power Capacity Growth 2024/25
Karnataka has topped the country in wind power capacity addition for 2024-25. It was adding 1,331.48 MW, the highest among all states. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat had followed, with additions of 1,136.37 MW and 954.30 MW, respectively. India currently has an installed wind capacity of 51.5 GW. The national goal is to reach 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030. It is including 100 GW from wind power, of which 30 GW will come from offshore sources. Of the total RE, solar power capacity expanded 31.49 percent. India has fourth largest wind power installed capacity and also is the third largest renewable energy producer in the world. Wind power is the second-largest contributor to India’s renewable energy mix following solar power. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh are the high potential states.
Cholera Outbreak in Odisha 2025
The diarrhoea outbreak that has affected eight districts of Odisha has emerged as a grave concern for the state’s public health apparatus. Several clusters have also been found to be struck by the deadly Vibrio cholerae (cholera) bacterium. Odisha earlier saw a cholera outbreak in December 2023 and July - November 2022. Cholera is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It spreads through contaminated food and water.
Ship ki La Pass opening 2025
Himachal Pradesh has recently opened the Ship ki La Pass to domestic tourists. It is situated at an elevation of 3,930 metres above sea level. The pass has been part of documented trade since the 15th century. It serves as a potential route for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. It was used as a trade corridor between India and Tibet. It was first disrupted after the Sino-India War of 1962.
Performance Grade Index (PGI) 2.0
The PGI was introduced in 2017, and the Education ministry revamped it as PGI 2.0 in 2021. Chandigarh, Punjab, and Delhi were the top three performers in the Ministry of Education’s latest assessment of school education indicators. Chandigarh was the top scorer in 2021-22 as well, with a score of 659, followed by Punjab (647.4) and Delhi (636.2). No state/UT has scored in the higher ranges of 761 and above. In the middle ranges of 521-580 were Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, the West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The state that scored the lowest was Meghalaya (417.9). Just above it was Arunachal Pradesh (461.4), Mizoram (464.2), Nagaland (468.6), and Bihar (471.9).
REPORTS AND INDICES
Oil 2025 - IEA report
The report Oil 2025 was released by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Global oil demand is forecast to increase by 2.5 million barrels per day (mb/d) between 2024 and 2030. At the same time, the global oil production capacity is projected to rise by over 5 mb/d to reach 114.7 mb/d by 2030. India’s oil demand is set to rise sharply by 1 mb/d over the forecast period. The global biofuels production is expected to grow by 680 kb/d between 2024 and 2030. Brazil and India are expected to lead the ethanol output growth, adding 140 kb/d and 100 kb/d respectively.
WEF Energy Transition Index 2025
The World Economic Forum (WEF) released the Energy Transition Index (ETI). Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have climbed to an all-time high of 37.8 billion tonnes last year. Nordic countries — Sweden, Finland and Denmark — continue to top the ETI. China, meanwhile, reached a record-high 12th position. From a rank of 63 in 2024, India has now slipped to rank 71. China topped the “Emerging Asia” category.
THE Impact Rankings 2025
Western Sydney University (Australia) retained its number one spot globally for the fourth year in a row. Asia is claiming more than half the places in the global rankings. In fact, 22 of the top 50 ranks are now held by Asian institutions. Total of 135 Indian institutes made it to the ‘THE Rankings’ this year. India also saw Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Rank 41) and Lovely Professional University (Rank 48) as its top performers. JSS Academy of Higher Education (Rank 48) and Shoolini University (Rank 48) also made it to the top 100. The rest of the Indian universities are scattered across ranks below 100.
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
Initiatives at UN Ocean Conference 2025
The 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) recently concluded in Nice, France. One Ocean Finance and the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean were launched during the event. One Ocean Finance is a global finance initiative to mobilise billions in sustainable funding for blue economy sectors and ocean restoration. Coalition for a Quiet Ocean committed to reducing marine noise pollution and its harmful impacts on marine biodiversity. It was launched by Canada and Panama and supported by 35 other nations.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Plasma Beyond Pluto - Voyager 1
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has detected a shell of superheated plasma at the heliopause. This plasma has been heated to an astonishing 30,000 to 50,000 Kelvin. Heliopause, defines the outer edge of the Sun’s protective bubble known as the heliosphere. Heliopause is the boundary where the Sun’s influence ends nearly 24 billion kilo metres away. Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and has been travelling through the space and crossed into interstellar space in 2012.
ECONOMY NEWS
SEBI on reverse flipping
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved changes to its reverse flipping, and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) norms. It aims to ease the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process for startups. Reverse flipping is the process of transferring the ownership of an Indian startup entity from a foreign jurisdiction to India. Earlier, equity shares acquired under approved schemes for an Offer for Sale in a public issue were exempt from one-year minimum holding period requirement.
NATIONAL NEWS
Notification to India’s 16th Census
The Centre has issued an official gazette notifying of the reference dates for the conduct of the census. According to an official notification, India’s 16th census with caste enumeration will be carried out on March 1, 2027. The reference date for the said census shall be 00.00 hours of the 1st day of March, 2027. In respect of Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date shall be 00:00 hours of the 1st day of October, 2026. The census will be conducted in two phases. The 2027 Census will be the first digital census in India’s history, with the use of mobile apps, online self-enumeration, and near-real-time monitoring. It is also the first since 1931 that will collect caste data for all communities. The 2027 Census plans to allow self-enumeration for the first time. Households can log into a government portal or use an app to fill out their own details. Once self-enumeration is done, the system will generate a unique ID. The Individuals who have self-enumerated will have to just present this ID when Census enumerator comes to their house. While 2011 used the physical maps and area lists, 2027 introduces GPS tagging of households and geofencing to avoid coverage gaps. The Enumerators in 2027 will receive alerts for errors like inconsistent age or unrealistic household size, enabling real-time corrections. New categories added under reasons for migration, such as displacement due to climate events or natural disasters.
Viksit Bharat Ka Amrit Kaal Report
The document titled ‘Viksit Bharat ka Amrit Kaal - Seva, Sushasan aur Garib Kalyan’ highlighted key achievements and grassroots impact under PM’s 11-year rule. Loans worth Rs 61,000 crore were approved in 2024, up from Rs 14,431 crore in 2018. The government also achieved 100 per cent open defecation-free status by 2019 and 100 per cent LPG penetration in 2025. 81 crore people were getting the free food grains, while 12 crore toilets were built under Swachh Bharat. Over 15 crore tap connections were provided to households. The government has also implemented the housing schemes, under which over 4 crore houses were completed under PMAY. Over 52 crore loans were given to small entrepreneurs under Mudra Yojna.
TAMIL NADU NEWS
Soil testing in delta region of Tamil Nadu
Low farmer awareness continues to affect soil health and crop productivity across this crucial agricultural belt. Both the Union government’s Soil Health Card (SHC) programme and Tamil Nadu’s Tamil Mann Valam portal promotes testing. But, just 7,900 cards were only generated in Nagapattinam and only 7,350 in Mayiladuthurai for 2024-25. The last State-wide mass soil sampling was conducted in 2018-19. While the Tamil Mann Valam portal includes soil data for each village, most of it is not precise. Mayiladuthurai district has no lab of its own and must rely on Nagapattinam.