Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 July 2025

Topic: International News

1. US President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ has narrowly passed a key Senate vote.

• The final tally was 51 in favor and 49 against.

• The  bill has passed a key Senate vote with a narrow margin of 51 to 49.
• The bill is a central part of Trump’s policy agenda.
• It focuses on tax cuts, immigration, border security, and military funding.
• One major goal is to extend the 2017 tax cuts enacted during Trump’s first term as president.
• The bill also increases funding for immigration enforcement.
• It provides more money for border infrastructure and security.
• Defense spending will also see a significant boost.
• Trump praised the outcome as a significant victory for the Republican Party.
• The legislation now moves on to the next round of voting.
• The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress. It is known as the upper house.
• The U.S. House of Representatives is the lower house.
• Together, they form the bicameral legislature of the United States.

Topic: Miscellaneous

2. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra resumed after five years.

• On 30 June, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra resumed via Lipulekh Pass after a five-year suspension.
• Hundreds of devotees will undertake the arduous journey to the 18,000-foot-high Mount Kailash near the Mansarovar Lake.
• The pilgrimage is being undertaken to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, revered across several religions.
• The journey was halted in 2020 due to COVID-19 and later by India-China border tensions.
• This year, India has allowed 750 citizens to join the pilgrimage in 15 separate groups.
• Only Indian citizens aged 18 to 70, who are physically and medically fit and possess a valid passport, are allowed to undertake the yatra, which typically lasts over 20 days.
• The Nathu La and Lipulekh Pass routes are open, with different levels of difficulty and travel distances.
• The first group of 36 pilgrims has already reached the holy sites via the Sikkim route.
• The Lipulekh route will see 250 pilgrims across five batches beginning July 5 from Dharchula Base Camp.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

3. The GoIStats mobile app launched to democratize official statistics.

• On 29 June, the GoIStats mobile application was launched by the National Sample Survey Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• This initiative is a major milestone towards India's commitment to make official statistics accessible and user-centric for all citizens.
• An interactive “Key Trends” dashboard has been incorporated to display socio-economic indicators such as GDP, inflation, and employment with dynamic visualizations.
• The Android version has been released free of charge on the Google Play Store, and an early iOS rollout has been announced.
• Advanced search, filtering, and mobile-optimized tables have been offered to make dataset exploration effortless.
• The release coincided with the 19th Statistics Day on 29 June, when three SDG National Indicator Framework publications for 2025 were issued.
• A shift towards real-time, tech-enabled data monitoring was highlighted during the ceremony.
• Secretary Saurabh Garg stated that technology-driven dissemination is reshaping evidence-based policymaking on the road to “Viksit Bharat.”
• To commemorate the completion of 75 years of NSS, a commemorative coin and a customized stamp of NSS were released, symbolizing the enduring legacy of 75 years of NSS.

Topic: National Appointment

4. CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal granted a one-year extension.

• The extension of the tenure of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agrawal till June 30, 2026, has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• The re-employment is on contract with effect from 1 July 2025 under the normal terms and conditions for re-employed officers.
• Agrawal, an IRS officer of the 1988 batch, had taken charge on 1 July 2024 up to his superannuation on 30 September 2024.
• A prior contractual tenure until 30 June 2025 had already been sanctioned and has now been prolonged by a further year.
• Nitin Gupta was succeeded by Agrawal in June 2024, and extensive administrative experience has been brought by him to the post.
• The Income Tax Department’s administrative planning is overseen by the chairman, who also advises the Indian Revenue Service.
• The CBDT is headed by a chairman and could have six members. It is responsible for administering the direct tax laws in India.
• It was formed on 1 January 1964. Its headquarters is in New Delhi, India.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

5. India marks 10 years of Digital India, transforming lives and the digital economy.

• On 1st July 2025, India celebrated a decade of the Digital India program, which was launched in 2015 by PM Narendra Modi to make technology accessible for all citizens.
• Access to healthcare, education, banking, and government services has been made possible online, bridging the digital divide between urban and rural India.
• According to the State of India’s Digital Economy Report 2024 by ICRIER, India now ranks third globally in digitalization, and its digital economy is expected to contribute nearly 20% of GDP by 2030.
• Over the past decade, internet and telecom infrastructure have rapidly expanded, with 4.74 lakh 5G towers installed by 2025 and 4G coverage in 6.15 lakh villages, making internet more accessible and affordable.
• Under BharatNet, more than 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats have been connected with 6.92 lakh km of optical fiber cable to bring high-speed internet to rural India.
• India’s digital finance ecosystem has been empowered through UPI, Aadhaar, and DBT, benefiting millions of citizens and eliminating fake beneficiaries.
• Key Milestones of Digital India (2014–2025)

• The IndiaAI Mission, approved in March 2024 with a budget of ₹10,371.92 crore, has helped India cross 34,000 GPUs in compute power and aims to build indigenous AI models, datasets, and ethical governance tools.
• Under the ₹76,000 crore India Semiconductor Mission, six semiconductor projects worth ₹1.55 lakh crore have been approved, including a display chip unit near Jewar airport through an HCL–Foxconn joint venture.
• Platforms like DigiLocker (53.92 crore users), UMANG (8.34 crore users), BHASHINI (35+ languages), and Karmayogi Bharat (1.21 crore officials) have enhanced access to services, training, and multilingual governance.
• The 10-year milestone of Digital India marks not just a digital transformation but a human-centric revolution, empowering citizens, promoting inclusion, and setting the foundation for a future-ready Viksit Bharat.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Important Days

6. World Asteroid Day 2025: 30 June

• Every year on 30 June, World Asteroid Day is celebrated across the world.
• The purpose of celebrating World Asteroid Day is to raise public awareness of the threat of asteroid impact and to inform the public about the crisis communication actions to be taken on a global scale.
• It is held to commemorate the anniversary of the Siberian Tunguska event that occurred on June 30, 1908, the most damaging known asteroid-related event on Earth in recent history.
• In its resolution in December 2016, the United Nations declared 30 June as Asteroid Day.
• Ceres was the first asteroid to be discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801.
• On April 13, 2029, asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass safely within geostationary orbit, at a distance of about 32,000 kilometers from Earth's surface, posing no threat to the planet.
• In 2024, the General Assembly declared 2029 the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defense to take advantage of the close approach of 99942 Apophis and to raise global awareness of asteroids.
• Asteroids—These are small, rock-like structures that revolve around the Sun. These are found orbiting around the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

Topic: Important Days

7. President Murmu paid tribute to the tribal heroes on the occasion of Hul Diwas.

• Hul Diwas was observed on 30 June to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the Santhal people.

• Hul Diwas marks the anniversary of the Santhal uprising.
• This rebellion began on June 30, 1855.
• The movement was led by tribal leaders Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu.
• Their sisters, Phulo and Jhano, also played a key role.
• The Santhals rose up against the British East India Company.
• They opposed colonial oppression and unjust policies.
• The rebellion also targeted exploitative moneylenders and landlords.
• These groups had caused great suffering among tribal communities.
• Thousands of Santhal youth joined the movement.
• They demanded freedom, justice, and dignity.
• Though the uprising was suppressed, its impact was lasting.
• It became a major moment in India’s struggle against colonial rule.
• The revolt led to important legal reforms.
• These included the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act of 1876.
• It also resulted in the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908.
• These laws aimed to protect tribal land and culture.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

8. Radhanath Swami, a respected spiritual leader in ISKCON, received New York City honour at interfaith event.

• He was recognized for his decades of spiritual service and humanitarian contributions.
• Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan presented the award.
• He did so on behalf of Mayor Eric Adams.
• The city acknowledged the positive role of religious groups in building strong communities.
• The award ceremony took place at the Bhakti Center.
• This center is ISKCON’s cultural and spiritual hub in Manhattan’s East Village.
• The event was called "Foundation of Future."
• It brought together civic leaders and members of the Hindu spiritual community.
• Radhanath Swami was praised for promoting interfaith harmony and cultural diversity in New York.
• He was born as Richard Slavin in Chicago in 1950.
• His spiritual journey began with involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.
• He later traveled to India to explore ancient Hindu devotional traditions.
• In India, he became a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
• Prabhupada was the founder of ISKCON and brought Krishna consciousness to the West.
• Radhanath Swami later became a bestselling author and global spiritual teacher.
• He also founded the Govardhan Eco Village in India.
• The village is a sustainable community focused on environmental and social issues.
• ISKCON was founded in 1966. It is a global movement that teaches bhakti yoga and devotional service.

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

9. President Droupadi Murmu attended the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS Gorakhpur at Gorakhpur on June 30, 2025.

• She also addressed the 11th Convocation of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.
• She formally inaugurates Uttar Pradesh’s first Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University in Gorakhpur on 1 July 2025.
• Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion.
• President Ram Nath Kovind laid foundation stone of this university on August 28, 2021.
• The university is spread over 52 acres. It has been developed with a sanctioned budget of more than Rs 267 crore.
• This is the state's first AYUSH University, named after Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired a “Manthan Baithak” in New Delhi.

• Cooperation Ministers from all States and Union Territories attended the meeting.

• The session focused on reviewing current cooperative initiatives.
• The event marks the celebration of International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025.
• Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi created the Ministry of Cooperation.
• The goal was to revive India’s traditional cooperative system with a modern vision.
• He emphasized the need to uplift small farmers and rural communities.
• The government aims to ensure that every village in India has a cooperative within five years.
• A national cooperative database will be used to meet this goal.
• Amit Shah urged each state to set up a cooperative training center.
• These centers should be affiliated with Tribhuvan Sahkari University.
• He announced that a new National Cooperative Policy will be launched soon.
• This policy will be in effect from 2025 to 2045.
• It will guide each state to create its own cooperative policy based on local needs.
• Specific goals will be set for every state under this framework.
• Shah also called for cooperation between State Cooperation and Agriculture Ministers.
• He encouraged them to promote natural farming together.