Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 June 2025

Topic: Personality in News

1. Dr Étienne-Émile Baulieu passed away at the age of 98.

• He was the French scientist who developed the abortion pill RU-486 (mifepristone).
• His birth name was Étienne Blum. During his work in US, he collaborated with Dr. Gregory Pincus, a pioneer of the birth control pill.
• Pincus encouraged Baulieu to study reproductive hormones.
• After returning to France, Baulieu discovered how to block progesterone.
• This hormone is essential for pregnancy to begin.
• His research led to the development of the abortion pill within a decade.
• Mifepristone offered a non-surgical, affordable, and safe option for ending early pregnancies.
• When the pill was approved in 1988, it faced strong opposition. The pill is now approved in over 100 countries.
• In 2010, the World Health Organization listed mifepristone as an essential medicine.
• In 2023, Wyoming became the first U.S. state to ban the abortion pill.
• In his later years, he focused on researching treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and severe depression.
• President Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in 2023.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Bicycle Day 2025: 3 June

• Every year on 3 June, World Bicycle Day is observed.
• The theme of World Bicycle Day 2025 is "Cycling for a Sustainable Future."
• In April 2018, the UN General Assembly declared 3 June as World Bicycle Day.
• The idea behind this is to inform people about the health benefits of cycling.
• A bicycle is an environmentally sustainable means of transport.

Topic: International News

3. India elected President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences.

• On 3 June 2025, India secured the presidency of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), defeating Austria in the final round of voting.
• In November 2024, the Indian candidate, Secretary DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances), Shri V. Srinivas, had been nominated for the 2025–2028 Presidency of IIAS by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Following a series of hearings, the candidatures of India, South Africa, and Austria were forwarded to the IIAS General Body for voting.
• In a show of support, South Africa had withdrawn its candidacy in May 2025 in favour of India.
• A total of 141 votes were cast during the election, in which India received 87 votes (61.7%), while Austria secured 54 votes (38.3%).
• This election marked a historic moment, as it was the first time in IIAS’s 100-year history that a President was elected through a ballot process.
• India’s presidency is expected to bridge the North-South Divide and will promote unity, inclusivity, and digital transformation in governance.
• Prime Minister Modi’s vision of “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government” will be central to India’s approach during the 2025–2028 term.
• The IIAS, though not affiliated with the UN, actively partners with UN bodies such as CEPA and UNPAN on public administration matters.
• India has been a member of the IIAS since 1998.
• Other major members of the IIAS include Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain, Qatar, Morocco and Indonesia.
• Established in 1930, the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) is a scientific international association headquartered in Brussels.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

4. A consultation meeting on ease of doing research and development was held in Dehradun.

• A two-day consultation meeting on Ease of Doing Research and Development (R&D) was held on 3rd and 4th June 2025 at CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun.
• Organized by NITI Aayog, this meeting was the second in the series of regional consultations.
• The event brought together eminent leaders from universities, research bodies, and government departments to redesign India’s research ecosystem.
• NITI Aayog member Dr. V.K. Saraswat stressed the need to modernize legacy systems and adopt performance-based funding mechanisms.
• Based on the outcomes of the first meeting held in May, 2025 at Raj Bhavan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the event discussed procedural bottlenecks and funding constraints in the scenario.
• Detailed discussions were held on governance, translational research, public-private collaborations, and researcher support mechanisms.
• Specific proposals to simplify procurement, decentralize decision-making, and incentivize impactful research were brought forward.
• The outcomes from the session are expected to shape a comprehensive national strategy on R&D reforms, being drafted by NITI Aayog.
• The initiative is seen as a key step in placing India among the global leaders in science and innovation.

Topic: Banking System

5. RBI imposed fined on 353 financial entities in FY 2025.

• Enforcement action was taken by the Reserve Bank against regulated entities (REs), and 353 penalties amounting to ₹54.78 crore were imposed in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, for contraventions of statutory provisions.
• Violations included non-compliance with norms related to cyber security, exposure limits, fraud classification, KYC directions, and credit reporting.
• Cooperative banks faced the highest number of actions, with 264 penalties totaling ₹15.63 crore issued against them.
• NBFCs and asset reconstruction companies were fined ₹7.29 crore across 37 cases of non-compliance.
• Additionally, a fine of Rs 83 lakh was imposed on 13 housing finance companies for regulatory violations.
• A fine of ₹11.11 crore was imposed on public sector banks during this period, while a fine of ₹14.8 crore was imposed on private banks.
• Foreign banks were not exempt, with enforcement actions taken against six of them.
• These actions were part of RBI’s continued efforts to ensure financial discipline across sectors.
• The penalties were issued as per provisions under statutes and various guidelines issued by the RBI from time to time.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Kumar Mangalam Birla honoured with the Global Leadership Award.

• Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, was presented the Global Leadership Award by USISPF during its 8th Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
• He was honored alongside IBM Chairman, CEO and President Arvind Krishna and Hitachi Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara for strengthening U.S.-India economic relations.
• The Aditya Birla Group has invested over $15 billion in the United States across 15 states, creating 5,400+ jobs.
• The award recognised Mr. Birla’s long-standing leadership and the group's impactful economic footprint in the U.S.
• Mr. Birla remarked that the recognition reflects their deep commitment to U.S.-India ties and mutual prosperity.
• The Birla Group's journey in the U.S., which began 18 years ago, has consistently expanded across multiple industries.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. President Droupadi Murmu presented Distinguished Service Awards at the Defence Investiture Ceremony-II.

• The event took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 4, 2025.
• A total of 92 awards were given to personnel from the Armed Forces, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
• These included 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals (PVSM), five Uttam Yudh Seva Medals (UYSM), and 57 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals (AVSM).
• The medals recognize service of an exceptional and distinguished nature.
• Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar received the PVSM. Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth was also awarded the PVSM.
• Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, the Director General of Military Operations, received the UYSM.
• He played a prominent role in military briefings related to Operation Sindoor.
• Lt Gen Bhavnish Kumar received the AVSM. He served as the Parade Commander at the 2025 Republic Day Parade.
• Other PVSM awardees included Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana and Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla.
• Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari and Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor also received the PVSM.
• Air Marshal Tiwari took over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on May 2.
• Air Marshal Kapoor became the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South Western Air Command on May 1.
• Five officers received the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal.
• Fifty-seven officers were honoured with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
• All awards were given in recognition of distinguished and exceptional service.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

8. Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda announced a five-year plan for India’s urban transformation.

• The plan will invest up to $10 billion to upgrade urban infrastructure.
• It focuses on metro system extensions, new regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridors, and improved urban services.
• Funding will come from sovereign loans, private sector investment, and third-party capital.
• The initiative is anchored by India’s Urban Challenge Fund (UCF).
• ADB is supporting the UCF to attract private investment into urban projects.
• ADB will provide $3 million in technical assistance.
• This assistance will help design bankable projects and build capacity in states and urban local bodies.
• By 2030, over 40% of India’s population is expected to live in urban areas.
• Mr. Kanda met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit.
• He also met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss metro expansion, rural development, rooftop solar, and UCF implementation.
• He held discussions with Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal.
• Mr. Kanda visited the Delhi–Meerut RRTS corridor.
• In Gurugram, he visited ReNew, a renewable energy company.
• ADB plans to provide over $5 billion annually under its 2023–2027 India partnership strategy.
• This includes $1 billion each year for nonsovereign financing to support private investment.
• ADB began operations in India in 1986. ADB’s current sovereign portfolio in India includes 81 projects totaling $16.5 billion.
• ADB is a leading multilateral development bank in the Asia-Pacific region. It supports sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth.
• ADB was founded in 1966. It has 69 member countries, including 50 from the Asia-Pacific.

Topic: International News

9. Lee Jae-myung has officially taken office as South Korea’s 21st president.

• He will serve a five-year term. He represents the Liberal Democratic Party.
• He won the recent presidential election. His closest rival was Kim Moon-soo from the conservative People Power Party.
• The National Election Commission confirmed the results.
• The election was called after former president Yoon Suk-yeol was removed from office.
• Yoon was ousted for attempting to impose martial law.
• Lee strongly criticized Yoon’s actions. He described them as an attempted coup.
• He promised to prevent such events from happening again.
• Lee also said he wants to restart dialogue with North Korea.
• He emphasized the importance of a strong security alliance with the United States.
• South Korea:
  • It is a country in East Asia. It shares its land border with North Korea.
  • Its capital is Seoul. Its currency is South Korean won. Type of government is unitary presidential republic.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

10. Oscar Piastri won the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.

• He now leads the championship with 186 points. This was his fifth win and seventh podium of the season.
• Lando Norris finished second. He remains in the title fight with 176 points.
• Max Verstappen was penalized after a late-race collision with George Russell. The 10-second penalty dropped him from fifth to tenth.
• George Russell was promoted to fourth place after the incident.
• Charles Leclerc made a strong late charge to finish third. He passed Verstappen after the final restart.
• Nico Hulkenberg impressed with a huge drive for Haas. He climbed from 16th to finish fifth, his best result of the season.
• The race was held under the lights at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
• McLaren's dominance continued with a standout performance.