Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 June 2025

Topic: Important Days

1. World Environment Day: 5 June

• World Environment day celebrated across the globe on 5 June 2025.
• World Environment day is observed to increase global awareness to take positive action to protect nature and planet Earth.
• World Environment day is observed annually on 5th June since 1973 under United Nations Environment Programme to build awareness to save life on planet Earth.
• Beat Plastic Pollution is the theme of this year’s World Environment Day.
• In 2025, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) hosted the global celebrations of World Environment Day.
• In 1972, United Nations had adopted 5 June as World Environment Day at Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Art and Culture

2. Lavender Festival 2025 concluded in Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir.

• The 3rd Lavender Festival, organised by CSIR-IIIM at Govt. Degree College, Bhaderwah, concluded on 2 June 2025.
• On 1 June, the two-day event was inaugurated by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and showcased India's growing lavender economy.
• Field visits were organised for farmers and investors to observe local practices and the live lavender oil distillation process.
• Technical sessions presented success stories of rural startups and farmers impacted by the CSIR-Aroma Mission.
• The Buyer-Seller Meet created a platform for direct dialogue among stakeholders, fostering market linkages.
• Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM, highlighted that 5,000+ farmers have been supported through the mission.
• Over 9,000 farmers and entrepreneurs have been trained in various aspects of lavender cultivation and processing.
• Economically, this mission has yielded significant results, with Tehsil Bhaderwah alone generating a turnover of ₹10.5 crore from 1,500 kg of lavender oil and 93,000 kg of dried flowers.
• Additionally, over 50 distillation units have been set up in Jammu and Kashmir, boosting local processing and entrepreneurship.
• The Purple or Lavender Revolution was launched in 2016 by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Aroma Mission.
• ‘First Lavender Festival' was celebrated in 2022.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

3. Two wetlands of Rajasthan declared Ramsar sites.

• Two wetlands—Khichan in Phalodi and Menar in Udaipur—have been officially designated as Ramsar Sites, increasing India's total to 91 globally recognized wetlands.
• The announcement was made by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav .
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised this achievement, describing India’s environmental efforts as people-driven and vigorous.
• Ramsar Sites are internationally important wetlands listed under the Ramsar Convention.
• As of June 5, 2025, there are more than 2,500 Ramsar sites in the world, covering an area of more than 2.5 million square kilometers.
• Ramsar Convention:
  • It is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation of wetlands.
  • It was signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, for the protection of wetland sites in the world.
  • It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. Therefore, every year on 2nd February, World Wetlands Day is observed.
  • The convention came into force on 21 December 1975.

Topic: National News

4. The Population Census 2027 will be held in two phases with caste data collection.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that the 2027 Population Census will include caste-based enumeration.
• This census will be conducted in two phases, following the precedent of earlier exercises.
• The reference date for most areas has been fixed at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027.
• For Ladakh and snow-bound areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, the reference date is October 1, 2026.
• According to the ministry, the notification outlining the intent to conduct the census with these reference dates will be published in the Official Gazette on June 16, 2025, as per Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948.
• The upcoming census will be governed by the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990.
• The last census, conducted in 2011, was also conducted in two phases.
• Phase I (Houselisting) from April 1 to September 30, 2010, and Phase II (Population Enumeration) from February 9 to February 28, 2011, with a reference date of March 1, 2011.
• For snow-covered areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, the census was conducted from September 11 to September 30, 2010, with a reference date of October 1, 2010.
• However, the 2021 census was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country

Topic: National News

5. E-Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for Tatkal ticket booking.

• The Ministry of Railways is set to implement e-Aadhaar authentication for booking Tatkal tickets.
• The decision has been made to curb ticketing fraud and ensure equitable access to emergency bookings.
• This will help genuine users to get confirmed tickets at the time of need.
• The new e-Aadhaar authentication will require passengers to digitally verify their identity at the time of booking, which will help Indian Railways curb fraudulent transactions and make the process more passenger-friendly.
• The existing Aadhaar-IRCTC link feature allows up to 24 ticket bookings per month for verified users.
• Generally, passengers can book train tickets up to 60 days in advance, depending on seat availability.
• About 20% of all tickets are sold through the Tatkal scheme, which allows booking from 10:00 am the day before the train's departure.
• Priority Tatkal booking in the first 10 minutes will only be allowed to Aadhaar-verified users.
• IRCTC agents are currently restricted from booking Tatkal tickets in the initial 10-minute window.
• Over 24 million suspicious users have been blocked in the past six months as part of a crackdown on misuse.
• Around 2 million additional accounts have been marked for further investigation.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. The Ministry of Coal launched the C CARES 2.0 portal for provident fund and pension digitization.

• The C CARES Version 2.0 portal of CMPFO has been launched by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy.

• The platform was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO) is an autonomous organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Coal.
• It was established in the year 1948 to operate provident fund and pension schemes with the objective of providing social security to coal sector workers.
• The organization is currently providing services to about 3.3 lakh provident fund subscribers and 6.3 lakh pensioners of the coal sector.
• The launch of C CARES Version 2.0 marks a major step in digitizing CMPFO operations, enabling direct disbursement of Provident Fund and pension to members' bank accounts.
• The Direct Benefit Transfer module was developed by CDAC in collaboration with the State Bank of India.
• The financial module has been developed in such a way that it facilitates automatic updates of PF and pension accounts of CMPFO members based on the data submitted by the coal company.
• Presently, this module has been launched for five regional offices, namely, Regional Office Godavarikhani & Kothagudem (SCCL), Regional Office Asansol-I (ECL), Regional Office Bilaspur (SECL), and Regional Office Nagpur (WCL).
• It will be implemented in the rest of the regional offices of CMPFO from 1st July.

Topic: International News

7. Karol Nawrocki has won Poland’s presidential election.

• He ran as an independent candidate with backing from the opposition Law and Justice party.
• Nawrocki received about 51 percent of the vote.
• He narrowly defeated Rafal Trzaskowski of the ruling Civic Coalition.
• Trzaskowski, who is the Mayor of Warsaw, earned just over 49 percent.
• This was Nawrocki’s first attempt at the presidency.
• He had consistently trailed in opinion polls and exit surveys.
• Nawrocki is set to take office later this year. He will replace President Andrzej Duda.
• Duda’s second and final term ends on August 6.
• Poland is a country in Central Europe. Its capital is Warsaw.
• Its government is unitary semi-presidential republic. Its official currency is złoty.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. India launched the ‘Ayush Nivesh Saarthi’ portal on May 29, 2025.

• The goal is to boost investment in traditional healthcare and wellness.
• The launch event was held at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi.
• It took place during the Ayush Stakeholder and Industry Interaction Meet.
• Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav led the launch.
• Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and Amardeep Singh Bhatia also attended the event.
• The portal was developed by the Ministry of Ayush in partnership with Invest India.
• It is designed to attract both domestic and foreign investors.
• The platform includes investment-ready projects, policy guidance, and real-time support.
• It combines incentives and government policies into one user-friendly interface.
• The Ayush sector grew at an average rate of 17 percent between 2014 and 2020.
• The portal allows 100% foreign direct investment through the automatic route.
• The Ayush sector plays a major role in India’s USD 13 billion medical value travel industry.
• It is one of the top five healthcare segments in the country.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

9. Flipkart is now the first major Indian e-commerce company to receive an NBFC licence from RBI.

• This licence allows Flipkart to offer loans directly to its customers and sellers.
• The lending will take place through both its main platform and its fintech app, super.money.
• The RBI granted the licence on March 13, 2025.
• Flipkart is permitted to lend money but cannot accept deposits.
• This marks a major change from its previous model of offering loans via partner banks like Axis Bank and IDFC Bank.
• Now, Flipkart will move toward a more direct and profitable lending model.
• The company plans to begin offering these financial services in the coming months.
• Users will be able to access credit more easily through the same platform they shop on.
• The development gives Flipkart an edge in the growing competition with Amazon.
• Amazon recently acquired NBFC Axio but is still waiting for regulatory approval.
• Flipkart was valued at $37 billion after a $1 billion funding round led by Walmart in 2024.
• The company is also relocating its holding structure from Singapore to India.
• The RBI approval follows Flipkart’s application, which was submitted in 2022.
• This shift reflects a larger trend of merging financial services with e-commerce platforms.

Topic: State News/Himachal Pradesh

10. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the 'Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana' in Hamirpur.

• The scheme promotes environmental protection and community involvement in forest management.
• It aims to increase green cover by planting fruit-bearing trees on degraded and barren forest land.
• The program also seeks to create jobs and income for local communities.
• Women’s groups, youth organizations, and self-help groups will participate in the effort.
• The Chief Minister also introduced the 'Green Adoption Scheme.'
• This initiative encourages private companies and organizations to take part in afforestation.
• Ambuja Company will plant trees on 25 hectares in the initial phase.
• Adani Foundation and Ultra-Tech will each adopt 10 hectares.
• Certificates were awarded to these organizations as official recognition.
• The Chief Minister observed the passing-out parade of the newly appointed 'Van Mitras.'
• Van Mitras, including many women, were hired to fill staff shortages in the forest department.
• The government reserves 30 percent of police recruitment seats for women.
• The Van Mitra Yojana aims to provide jobs for youth and increase forest resources.
• A souvenir called "Samvaad" dedicated to Van Mitras was released.
• He also launched the book "The Mountainous Wilderness of Spiti."