Current Affairs Quiz 23rd and 24th June 2025 Quiz

Exp. President Murmu Inaugurates Rashtrapati Tapovan & Niketan in Dehradun

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the opening of the Rashtrapati Tapovan and Rashtrapati Niketan in Dehradun to the public on the occasion of her 67th birthday on 20 June 2025. She also laid the foundation stone of the Rashtrapati Udyan, which will be built as a net-zero public park in Dehradun.

About the Rashtrapati Niketan or Presidential Estate

• The Presidential Estate, later renamed Rashtrapati Ashiana and now Rashtrapati Niketan, is spread over a 21-acre area in the Himalayan foothills of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• The Presidential Estate was built in 1838 as a summer camp for the Governor General of India’s Bodyguard.
• In 1976, the Presidential Retreat was renamed Rashtrapati Ashiana, and the President of India occasionally spends a few days here in the summer season.

About Rashtrapati Tapovan

• It is a 19-acre forest area that is adjacent to the Rashtrapati Niketan. It has been developed as a forest area in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department.
• The Tapovan is rich in native vegetation, featuring natural bamboo groves and undisturbed woodland ecosystems. Around 117 plant species, 52 butterflies, 41 bird species, and 7 wild mammals are found here.
• The Tapovan has been designed to be a place of quiet and meditation with  silent zones, forest trails, meditation huts.

Exp.  Bhupendra Yadav Launches Gharial Conservation Programme at Katarniaghat

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav launched the Gharial Species Conservation Programme by releasing seven one-year-old gharial hatchlings into the Gerua River at Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh.

The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, is endemic to India and found primarily in the Chambal, Gerua (Girwa), and Rapti-Narayani river systems.

The National Chambal Sanctuary holds about 77% of the global gharial population, while Katarniaghat Sanctuary serves as a key captive breeding ground for gharial conservation in Uttar Pradesh.

Exp. India Tops Archery Asia Cup 2025 Singapore Leg 2 with Nine Medals

India’s young archers continued their strong performance, finishing at the top of the medal table at the Archery Asia Cup 2025 – Singapore Leg 2 with a total of 9 medals – 2 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze.

In the first leg held in Bangkok, Thailand, Indian archers had also topped the medal tally with 8 medals, showing consistent dominance across both legs of the tournament.

The Singapore leg witnessed participation from over 200 archers representing 21 countries, with India qualifying for five out of six team finals and two of four individual gold medal matches, though they converted only two finals into victories.

Exp. Google Launches First Asia-Pacific Safety Engineering Centre in Hyderabad to Boost Cybersecurity and AI Safety

Google has established its first Asia-Pacific Safety Engineering Centre (GSEC) in Hyderabad, Telangana, making it the fourth such centre globally after Munich (Germany), Malaga (Spain), and Dublin (Ireland); it was inaugurated by Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy.

The Hyderabad GSEC will serve as a strategic hub for cybersecurity and end-user safety, focusing on preventing online fraud, securing enterprise and government infrastructure, and promoting responsible AI across the Asia-Pacific region.

The centre will leverage AI and large language models to enable real-time scam alerts through Gemini Nano on Android, improve fraud detection on Google Pay, Gmail, and Search, and strengthen protections like Google Play Protect.

Exp. PM Modi Flags Off First Made-in-Bihar Locomotive for Export to Guinea

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the export of the first made-in-Bihar diesel locomotive to Guinea, from the Marhowrah Diesel Locomotive Plant in Saran district, marking India’s entry into the global locomotive export market from Bihar.

The Wabtec Diesel Locomotive Plant, a joint venture between Wabtec (75%) and Indian Railways (25%), signed a deal to export 150 locomotives to Guinea over three years for the Simandou iron ore project, one of the world’s largest; the exported engines include modern features like AC cabins, refrigerators, microwaves, and waterless toilets.

Exp. Indian Navy to Commission Stealth Frigate ‘Tamal’ in Russia on 1st July 2025

The Indian Navy will commission the stealth multi-role frigate Tamal on 01 July 2025 in Kaliningrad, Russia, with Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh presiding over the ceremony, alongside top Indian and Russian defence officials.

Tamal is the eighth Krivak-class frigate acquired from Russia and the second in the upgraded Tushil-class, following the Talwar and Teg classes, each of which had three ships.

As part of the Tushil-class project, India is also constructing two similar frigates (Triput-class) at Goa Shipyard Limited with Russian technology support, aiming to operate ten ships with common weapons and sensors.

Built at Yantar Shipyard, Tamal features 26% indigenous content, including the BrahMos missile, and comes equipped with modern armaments such as vertical-launch SAMs, advanced radars, EW systems, torpedoes, and support for multi-role helicopters.

Exp. UGRO Capital to Acquire Profectus for ₹1,400 Crore in Landmark All-Cash Deal to Boost MSME Lending

UGRO Capital has announced the 100% equity acquisition of Profectus Capital for ₹1,400 crore in an all-cash deal, funded through its recent equity raise and pending regulatory approvals including from the RBI.

Post-acquisition, Profectus Capital will become a wholly-owned subsidiary, enabling UGRO to strengthen its MSME-focused lending strategy and expand its secured lending portfolio.

With this deal, UGRO Capital will gain access to Profectus’s ₹3,468 crore AUM, a 28-branch network, and a low NPA base, resulting in a 29% boost in UGRO’s total assets under management (AUM).

Exp. Centre and RBI Push for Unified Lending Interface (ULI) to Revolutionize Credit Delivery Across India

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) and RBI co-chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to discuss scaling up Unified Lending Interface (ULI) — a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) aimed at streamlining and democratizing credit access across India.

ULI is envisioned as a transformative platform that integrates technology, data, and policy to deliver seamless, data-driven, and inclusive credit, particularly benefiting underserved borrowers by leveraging trusted government datasets.

RBI Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar emphasized ULI’s potential to surpass the impact of UPI, urging ministries and states to view it as a collaborative, two-way innovation and contribute relevant datasets to unlock its full potential.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to digitally integrate government datasets, nominate nodal officers, digitise land and property records, and align other credit initiatives with ULI to build a unified national lending ecosystem.

Exp. 23 June – United Nations Public Service Day

United Nations Public Service Day is observed every year on 23rd June to recognize the value and virtue of public service in the community and to highlight the contribution of public servants in the development process.

The day aims to promote professionalism, innovation, and integrity in public administration and encourages youth to pursue careers in the public sector.

It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003 (Resolution A/RES/57/277), acknowledging that an efficient, accountable, and inclusive public administration is vital for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Exp. 23 June – International Widows’ Day

International Widows’ Day is observed every year on 23rd June to raise awareness about the challenges faced by widows across the world and to advocate for their rights, dignity, and social inclusion.

Theme 2025 – Empowering Widows: Building Resilience, Restoring Dignity

Proclaimed by the United Nations in 2010, International Widows’ Day addresses the social stigmas, economic hardships, and human rights violations experienced by millions of widows globally.

Exp. India Clinches Record 27 Medals at Asian Para-Badminton Championship 2025 in Thailand

India secured a record 27 medals (4 Gold, 10 Silver, 13 Bronze) at the Asian Para-Badminton Championship 2025 held in Thailand, marking the country’s best-ever performance at the event.

Notable medallists included Paris Paralympics gold medallist Nitesh Kumar, silver medallist Thulasimathi Murugesan, and bronze medallist Manisha Ramadass, showcasing India’s growing strength in para-badminton.

India dominated the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 category, sweeping all three medals, with Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi winning gold, Ruthick Raghupathi and Manasi Joshi taking silver, and Chirag Baretha and Mandeep Kaur bagging bronze.

Exp. India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran clinches women’s single ITF J200 Gladbeck title in Germany

In Tennis, India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran has clinched the women’s singles ITF J200 Gladbeck title in Germany.

The 16-year-old defeated Switzerland’s Noelia Manta 6-2, 6-4 in the final. This triumph marks Maaya’s maiden ITF Junior title on European clay.

Earlier in the semifinals, she defeated Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard of France 6-2, 6-1. It is Maaya’s seventh ITF Junior title overall. Her earlier titles include victories at J100 and J300 events.

The J signifies Junior, and the number indicates the tournament’s grade, with higher numbers generally representing higher levels of competition and more ranking points.

Exp. India scripts historic finish at U23 Asian Wrestling Championships with double team titles

India’s young wrestlers delivered a stellar performance on the final day of the Under-23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Vung Tau, Vietnam, winning six medals in men’s freestyle. Five wrestlers, Nikhil, Sujeet, Jaideep, Chander Mohan, and Sachin, clinched gold.

India also topped the team rankings in men’s freestyle and won the women’s freestyle team title, marking a historic finish at the continental event.

Indian women wrestlers won the team title at the Under-23 Asian Championship by winning a medal in each of the 10 categories, including four gold and five silver in Vung Tau, Vietnam.

Priyanshi Prajapat in 50kg category, Reena in 55kg category, Shrishti in 68kg and Priya in 76kg category sealed the top podium places. Five Indian women wrestlers settled for runner-up finishes.

Exp. Adani Commissions India’s First Off-Grid 5 MW Green Hydrogen Plant in Gujarat, Advancing Clean Energy Goals

Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) has commissioned India’s first off-grid 5 MW green hydrogen pilot plant in Kutch, Gujarat, powered entirely by solar energy and integrated with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), marking a significant step toward the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The plant uses a fully automated, closed-loop electrolyser system that dynamically adjusts to renewable energy inputs, showcasing technological feasibility, operational flexibility, and efficiency in managing solar power variability.

This 100% green-powered facility produces hydrogen without any carbon emissions and serves as a proof of concept ahead of ANIL’s upcoming large-scale Green Hydrogen Hub in Mundra, Gujarat.

The project strengthens India’s position in the global green hydrogen economy, aiming to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like fertilisers, refineries, and heavy transport, while supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and reducing dependence on energy imports.

Exp. India Launches Operation Sindhu to Evacuate Citizens from Conflict-Hit Iran

India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims, stranded in Iran amid the escalating Iran–Israel conflict.

As of now, nearly 2,295 individuals, including one Sri Lankan national, have been successfully evacuated through multiple special flights from Mashhad, Iran, to Delhi.

The operation continues with additional evacuation flights planned, showcasing India’s strong commitment to ensuring the safety of its citizens during geopolitical crises.

Exp. Operation Midnight Hammer: US Launches Massive Airstrikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites in Largest Middle East Campaign Since 2003

The United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, targeting Iran’s three most fortified nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—marking the largest American air campaign in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War.

The strike involved over 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles. For the first time in combat, the GBU-57 bunker-busting bomb was used to hit deeply buried nuclear sites.

The U.S. strike followed Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, launched to stop Iran’s alleged nuclear advancements.

Operation Midnight Hammer now joins a growing list of high-profile Middle East military actions, including Operation True Promise (Iran), Operation Rising Lion and Iron Wall (Israel), and Operation Poseidon Archer (US-UK coalition), all escalating tensions in the region.