Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 June 2025

Topic: International News

1. Luís Montenegro is Portugal's newly reappointed Prime Minister.

• Luís Montenegro has been reappointed Portugal's Prime Minister.
• Montenegro ruled out constitutional reform in the near future.
• This has been demand of the far-right Chega party.
• Chega party finished second in Portugal's elections earlier in May 2025.
• On 29 May 2025, Montenegro was confirmed by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as the leader of Portugal's 25th government.
• Montenegro's Democratic Alliance (AD) won 91 seats.
• Chega came second with 60 seats. Socialist Party (PS) came third with 58 seats.
• Portugal:
  • Portugal is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Its currency is Euro.
  • The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is its President. Its government is unitary semi-presidential republic.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

2. India hosted the IATA AGM after 42 years.

• On 2 June, the 81st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) addressed by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
• The Prime Minister stated that India as the third largest domestic civil aviation market in the world.
• The IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit (WATS), held after 42 years in India, has brought together over 1,600 global aviation leaders, officials, and media representatives.
• The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s aviation sector is recognized as a key player in the global air transport industry.
• India was presented as an excellent investment opportunity in aviation due to supportive government policies, skilled talent, and growing market demand.
• Infrastructure development was identified as a priority, with the number of airports increasing from 74 in 2014 to 162 in 2024.
• Efforts to develop India as a global manufacturing hub were reaffirmed, with a focus on Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services aiming for global leadership by 2030.
• The Prime Minister praised the success of the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, calling it a “golden chapter” in Indian civil aviation.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu stated plans to add 50 more airports over the next five years, with 619 UDAN routes operational to increase air accessibility.
• India’s aviation sector employs around 369,700 people directly and supports approximately 7.7 million jobs when including indirect impacts, contributing about $53.6 billion to the economy.

Topic: Sports

3. RCB won the maiden IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings in a thrilling final.

• On 3 May, Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Punjab Kings by 6 runs to become the Indian Premier League champions for the first time.
• The final was held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where RCB defended a total of 190.
• The 2025 Indian Premier League (Tata IPL 2025) was the 18th edition of the tournament, featuring 10 teams.
• After being invited to bat first, RCB posted 190/9 in their 20 overs, with Virat Kohli scoring a team-high 43 runs.
• Punjab Kings, in response, managed 184/8 despite an unbeaten 61-run effort by Shashank Singh.
• Krunal Pandya was awarded the Player of the Match for his economical spell of 4 overs, conceding only 17 runs and taking 2 crucial wickets.
• Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudarshan was presented with the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs in the tournament.
• The Purple Cap for most wickets was secured by Prasidh Krishna, also from Gujarat Titans.
• Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award for his consistent batting performance.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

4. Uttar Pradesh approved 20% reservation for former Agniveers in police recruitment.

• On 3 June, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a 20% horizontal reservation for former Agniveers in various police positions across the state.
• The reservation will be applicable in direct recruitment for Police Constable, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Mounted Constable, and Fireman.
• The move aims to offer meaningful post-service employment to Agniveers completing their 4-year service under the Agneepath scheme.
• This reservation will be applicable to all categories—General, SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Scheduled Tribe), and OBC (Other Backward Classes)—in their respective groups.
• Former Agniveers will also receive a three-year age relaxation in addition to the reservation quota.
• The first recruitment drive under this policy is likely to begin in 2026, aligning with the return of the first Agniveer batch.
• The policy was introduced to ensure continued national service through employment in the police force.
• Agnipath scheme:
  • It was launched to boost youth recruitment in the armed forces and to reduce the pension bill.
  • Under the scheme, both male and female candidates are recruited as Agniveers in the 'below officer's rank' cadre of the three services of the country for a period of four years.
  • The government launched the Agneepath scheme on June 15, 2022.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

5. The DHRUVA Policy launched by India to build geo-coded digital address infrastructure".

• The policy document for DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address) has been unveiled by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications.
• This landmark initiative aims to create a national-level Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
• Building on the earlier launch of DigiPIN (Geo-coded National Addressing Grid of India), Dhruva envisages a standardized, interoperable, and consent-based digital address system.
• It will serve as an infrastructure for governance, emergency services, e-commerce, logistics, and financial inclusion.
• The new Dhruva framework introduces the concept of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS)—a secure, user-consent-driven system for managing, sharing, and integrating address data across government and private platforms.
• DHRUVA aims to enable efficient delivery of services across governance, logistics, e-commerce, and emergency response.
• Citizens will be empowered with control over their address data in a secure, interoperable framework.
• The policy is designed to foster innovation and collaboration between public and private stakeholders.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

6. The Kawal Tiger Corridor declared as the Kumram Bheem Conservation Reserve by Telangana.

• The Telangana State government issued orders declaring the tiger corridor area connecting Kawal Tiger Reserve in the state with Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra as ‘Kumram Bheem Conservation Reserve’, as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• The reserve spans 1492.88 sq. km across Asifabad and Kagaznagar divisions in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.
• The presence of resident, breeding tigers in this area and several interstate tiger dispersal events in the last decade indicate that it is an important link for maintaining tiger connectivity in this part of central India.
• Apart from tigers, the area houses leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, sloth bears, wolves, and diverse herbivores.
• The region is also home to over 240 bird species, including the endangered Long-Billed Vulture and Malabar Pied Hornbill.
• While the Tiger Census 2022 reported the presence of at least four adult tigers and three cubs, strategic camera trapping, year-round monitoring, and other surveys were conducted by the Forest Department.
• These surveys revealed that the area has been used by more than 45 unique tigers over the last decade, most of which are transient.
• According to Section 36(A) of the Act, the state government may declare any area in its possession, particularly the areas adjoining national parks and sanctuaries and the areas connecting one protected area with another, as a conservation reserve for the protection of landscape, seascape, flora and fauna, and their habitats.

Topic: Indian Polity

7. President Murmu has issued the Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025.

• It mandates up to 85% reservation in jobs for residents of Ladakh, excluding the quota for Economically Weaker Sections.
• The regulation is enacted under Article 240 of the Constitution.
• It also draws authority from Section 58(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
• The amendment modifies Section 3(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.
• It sets a maximum limit of 85% for local job reservations in Ladakh.
• This regulation covers the entire Union Territory of Ladakh.
• It will come into effect on a date notified by the central government.
• President Murmu has also promulgated the Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025.
• This declares English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as official languages of the Union Territory.
• English will continue to be used for all official purposes for which it was used before the new law.
• The Administrator of Ladakh is empowered to make rules to promote local languages and culture.
• An Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages will be established for this purpose.
• Special attention will be given to native languages like Shina (Dardic), Brokskat (Dardic), Balti, and Ladakhi.
• These efforts aim to protect and promote the linguistic heritage of the region.
• All rules made under this regulation must be placed before both Houses of Parliament.
• President Murmu has also amended the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act.
• The amendment reserves one-third of the seats in both Leh and Kargil Hill Councils for women.
• Reserved constituencies for women will rotate.
• This rotation will follow the serial numbers assigned to constituencies in the official gazette.
• Under Article 240, President has powers to bring regulations for the peace, progress, as well as good government of certain UTs.

Topic: Science and Technology

8. Elon Musk’s platform X has launched XChat.

• It is a standalone messaging service designed to compete with WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat.
• XChat marks a major step in Musk’s plan to turn X into an all-purpose app.
• This mirrors the model of China’s super app, WeChat.
• XChat offers several advanced features.
• These include blockchain-style encryption, disappearing messages, and cross-platform audio and video calls.
• Users can also send and receive files through the app.
• This shows XChat’s clear intention to rival major messaging services.
• The app is built using the Rust programming language.
• Rust is known for its speed and strong security.
• XChat uses encryption similar to that used in Bitcoin systems.
• This allows it to offer secure, end-to-end encrypted communication.
• With this focus on privacy, XChat aligns with apps like Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
• The service is currently in beta testing. Access is limited to select users and developers.
• At this stage, XChat is available only to X’s paid subscribers. It is not yet open to free users.

Topic: International Appointments

9. Annalena Baerbock, former foreign minister of Germany, has been elected President of the United Nations General Assembly.

• She received 167 out of 193 votes in a secret ballot.
• The ballot was held at Russia’s request due to its opposition to her candidacy.
• Baerbock will begin her one-year term in September.
• She will succeed Philemon Yang from Cameroon.
• Her term will include major events like the annual UN summit and the organization’s 80th anniversary.
• She is the first woman from the Western European group to hold this position.
• She is also only the fifth woman ever to lead the General Assembly.
• The presidency rotates among five regional UN groups.
• Germany initially nominated diplomat Helga Schmid.
• The nomination was later changed to Baerbock after Schmid left her ministerial post.
• Russia opposed Baerbock’s candidacy. It accused her of being biased and too critical of Moscow.
• In her speech, Baerbock announced “Better Together” as her central theme.
• She emphasized the need for international cooperation. She called for unity in facing current global crises.
• She also stressed the importance of the UN’s role in preventing conflict.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. India will construct its first indigenously built Polar Research Vessel (PRV).

• This will be done in collaboration with a Norwegian company.

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kongsberg Oslo.
• The MoU was signed in Oslo, Norway.
• India’s Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, was present during the signing.
• The project highlights India’s focus on scientific progress and sustainable development.
• The vessel will be equipped with advanced research technologies.
• It will support deep-sea exploration and marine ecosystem studies.
• It will also help scientists examine climate change and Earth’s history.
• Minister Sonowal described the agreement as a major step forward.
• He said it represents hope and progress for India’s scientific future.
• Sonowal also participated in global discussions on ocean economy and maritime business.
• During the talks, he reaffirmed India’s commitment to its MAHASAGAR vision.
• The vision promotes inclusive growth and cooperation in the maritime sector.