Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 June 2025

Topic: National Appointments

1. Economist S. Mahendra Dev has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

• The role of full-time chairman had been vacant since November 2024.
• This followed the passing of Bibek Debroy, the council’s first chairman.
• During this period, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Bery had been handling the additional responsibility.
• Dev completed his PhD in economics at the Delhi School of Economics.
• Following his appointment, Dev resigned from his position as an independent director on the Axis Bank board.
• His resignation became effective at the close of business on June 5, 2025.
• Dev is a noted expert in agricultural policy and rural economic development.
• The re-constitution of EAC-PM has been approved by the PM for two years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• Three full-time members – Sanjeev Sanyal, Sanjay Kumar Mishra and Shamika Ravi – have been retained.
• New part-time members appointed include Soumya Kanti Ghosh (group chief economic advisor at SBI).
• IIM Bangalore Professor Pulak Ghosh, along with Institute of Economic Growth Head Chetan Ghate, Delhi School of Economics Director Pami Dua, and Professor KV Raju have also been included.
• EAC-PM is an independent body constituted to advise on economic and related issues to the government.

Topic: Sports

2. Wasim and Tryon were named ICC Players of the Month for May 2025.

• ICC announced Muhammad Waseem of UAE and Chloe Tryon of South Africa as Players of the Month for May 2025.
• Waseem earned the award for the second time after consistent performances in ODIs and T20Is.
• In five ODIs, Waseem scored 169 runs and led the UAE to a series win against Bangladesh.
• His standout innings of 54 and 82 came while opening in the T20I series held in Sharjah.
• The award was previously secured by him in April 2024 for similar impactful performances.
• Apart from this, Chloe Tryon was recognized for her all-round performance during the Sri Lanka ODI Tri-Series.
• She scored 176 runs and took six wickets, including a five-wicket haul with a hat-trick.
• ICC had introduced the ICC Player of the Month awards in January 2021.
• It recognizes the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.

Topic: Personality in News

3. Eminent scholar Daaji Panshikar passed away at the age of 92.

• Eminent scholar and Marathi author Daji Panshikar passed away at his residence in Thane, Maharashtra, after a brief illness.
• He was widely respected for his knowledge of Indian epics and saint literature.
• His interpretations of texts like the Mahabharata, Eknaathi Bhagwat, and Bhavarth Ramayan earned him recognition in Maharashtra’s cultural sphere.
• His contributions to theater through the organization Natyasampada Natya Sanstha were also deeply valued.
• His commentaries and lectures shaped the intellectual landscape of the state.
• Panshikar’s efforts in popularizing Indian epics among the common people were widely acknowledged.
• He was also known as Narahari Vishnu Shastri in academic and literary circles.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Gram Panchayats recognized under the new Digital Governance Awards 2025.

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, along with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, has introduced a new award category under the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025.
• This category aims to recognize exemplary digital initiatives by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) that improve service delivery and citizen engagement.
• A first of its kind recognition for PRIs, a new award category called “Grassroots Level Initiatives for Deepening Service Delivery at Gram Panchayats or Equivalent Traditional Local Bodies” has been introduced to honor exemplary digital initiatives by Panchayats.
• The objective of this category is to recognize the role of Gram Panchayats in improving ease of living and quality of life through effective, transparent, and citizen-centric service delivery.
• Over 1.45 lakh entries were received from 26 states and UTs, out of which four-gram panchayats were declared winners.

• The awards include a trophy, certificate, and financial incentive—₹10 lakh for Gold and ₹5 lakh for Silver recipients.
• This incentive amount is given to the winning district/organization/Gram Panchayat to be utilized for implementing the awarded project or to meet the resource shortage in any area of ​​public welfare.

Topic: Sports

5. Anahat Singh won double titles at the PSA Awards 2024-25.

• Indian squash star Anahat Singh received two major honors at the PSA Awards 2024–25.
• She was named the Women’s Challenger Player of the Season and also shared the Women's Young Player of the Season award along with Egypt's Amina Orfi.
• Her season started well in August when she successfully defended her national title and won the HCL Squash Tour in Kolkata.
• Throughout the season, nine titles were won by her in 11 tournaments, including eight at the Challenger level.
• A 29-match unbeaten streak marked her dominance on the professional squash circuit.
• At the Indian Open (15k-level), she defeated veteran Joshna Chinappa to clinch the title.
• Her achievements included a British Junior Open U-17 title and a bronze medal at the Asian Junior Team Championships.
• She climbed to world No. 56, becoming India's top-ranked female squash player.
• In her debut match at the Senior World Championship, she defeated world number 29 Marina Stefanoni of the United States in a thrilling five-game match.

Topic: National Appointment

6. Satpal Bhanu appointed interim MD and CEO of LIC.

• The central government has entrusted Sat Pal Bhanoo with interim charge as the MD & CEO of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for three months.
• The appointment followed the completion of Siddhartha Mohanty’s term, the first to serve as LIC’s MD & CEO post-revamp.
• As per a Ministry of Finance notification dated June 7, Bhanoo has been granted full financial and administrative powers for the role.
• His interim tenure will be effective from 8 June to 7 September 2025 or until further orders or a permanent appointment is made.
• With over 30 years of experience at LIC, Bhanoo previously served as Zonal Manager of LIC’s Central Zone in Bhopal before being elevated to MD.
• He has held key roles such as Senior Divisional Manager in Bangalore and Shimla, and Regional Manager for Micro Insurance and HR functions.
• LIC’s leadership has undergone several recent changes, with Ratnakar Patnaik and Dinesh Pant appointed as MDs following retirements.
• Ramakrishnan Chander has been named Chief Investment Officer, while Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as Appointed Actuary.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. A MoU has been signed between BHASHINI and CRIS.

• The MoU seeks to build next-gen multilingual AI solutions for Indian Railways.
• The MoU is a landmark step toward linguistic inclusion and AI-driven digital transformation in Indian Railways.
• The MoU has been signed between Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) and Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
• This MoU is to collaborate on the development and deployment of multilingual artificial intelligence solutions across main public-facing railway platforms.
• The MoU was formally signed by Amitabh Nag, CEO, BHASHINI, and G.V.L. Satya Kumar, Managing Director, CRIS, in New Delhi.
• The strategic partnership aims to integrate BHASHINI’s state-of-the-art language technology stack into CRIS-managed systems such as the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) and RailMadad.
• With this, citizens will be able to access critical railway services in 22 Indian languages.
• The focus of the partnership will also be on co-developing chatbots and voice assistants for multilingual passenger support.

Topic: Important Days

8. International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations: 10 June

• International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations is observed on 10 June.
• International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations 2025 is first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.
• UN General Assembly adopted resolution on 7 June 2024 and declared 10 June the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.
• The resolution was proposed by China. It was co-sponsored by more than 80 countries.
• The International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations offers a chance to raise awareness about the importance of cultural diversity.
• It highlights the value of different civilizations around the world.
• The day encourages open dialogue and mutual respect among people of various backgrounds.
• It also promotes global solidarity and understanding.
• The goal is to build a more harmonious and interconnected world.
• The notion of “civilization” is not easy to define. It can be subject to misinterpretation.
• However, UNESCO views civilization as a universal, pluralistic, and non-hierarchical concept.
• It recognizes that civilizations are naturally influenced by intercultural interactions.
• At the same time, they maintain their distinct and unique identities.

Topic: Personality in News

9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to tribal leader and freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his 125th death anniversary.

• Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s death anniversary is known as ‘Balidan Diwas’.
• Modi described Birsa Munda's life as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and dedication to tribal welfare and national pride.
• Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in Ulihatu village, which is now in Jharkhand.
• He rose as a key figure against British colonial rule during the late 19th century.
• Despite minimal formal education, he united Adivasi communities against British exploitation and missionary influence.
• He led a socio-religious movement aimed at preserving tribal identity and asserting their rights.
• Birsa Munda is revered as ‘Dharti Aaba’ or ‘Father of the Earth’ by tribal groups.
• He died at the age of 25 while in British custody.
• His legacy of resistance and empowerment continues to inspire both tribal and non-tribal Indians.

Topic: Sports

10. Denmark’s Anders Antonsen won his first Indonesia Open men’s singles title by defeating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen.

• This was Antonsen’s maiden Super 1000 title. He had been runner-up in 2019 and 2024.
• In women’s singles, South Korea’s world number one An Se-young beat China’s Wang Zhiyi.
• This was An’s second Indonesia Open title. She had also won in 2021.
• In women’s doubles, China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, the world number one pair, defeated Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
• In men’s doubles, South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae beat Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Isfahani.
• France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won the mixed doubles final against Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran.
• This was France’s first-ever Super 1000 badminton title.
• Indonesia Open is an annual badminton tournament. It is being organized by the Badminton Association of Indonesia since 1982.