Current Affairs Quiz – June 2025

Notes:
The Finance Minister recently chaired the 29th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC). FSDC is a top-level non-statutory body formed by the Government of India in December 2010. Its main aim is to ensure financial stability and promote development in the financial sector. The council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and includes key members like the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Finance Secretary, and heads of regulatory bodies like Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh has opened the Shipki La Pass to Indian tourists, aiming to boost local economy in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, which share a 240-km border with China. Shipki La Pass, once known as Pema La or Shared Gate, is a motorable mountain pass at 3,930 metres in tribal Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. It lies on the India-China border and is among the highest motorable passes in the region. The Sutlej River, called Langqen Zangbo in Tibet, enters India through this pass, which was historically used as a trade route between India and Tibet.

Notes:
Recently, a study highlighted that emperor penguins are facing serious threats from climate change in Antarctica. Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest penguin species alive today, evolved around one million years ago. They are specially adapted to survive in the extreme cold of Antarctica and are found across the continent and nearby sub-Antarctic islands. Their habitat mainly includes pack ice and nearby marine areas, where they live their entire lives. As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, they are classified as Near Threatened.

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister has fixed November 2026 as the deadline for completing the delayed Shongtong-Karcham Hydroelectric Project. It is a run-of-river hydropower project located on the Satluj River in Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh. The project has a total capacity of 450 megawatts (MW), using three 150 MW Francis turbines. It will generate approximately 1,594 million units or gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually.

Notes:
Karnataka was awarded first place for adding the highest wind power capacity of 1,331.48 Megawatts (MW) in financial year 2024-25. The award was received by State Energy Minister K J George from Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, during Global Wind Day 2025 in Bengaluru. Global Wind Day 2025 was themed ‘Pawan-Urja: Powering the Future of India’. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat ranked second and third with 1,136.37 MW and 954.76 MW additions respectively. Karnataka’s wind capacity now surpasses that of countries like South Africa, Portugal, and New Zealand, and is close to Sweden and Australia.

Notes:
Conservation activists have raised concerns about promoting tourism through wildlife safari in the Kali Tiger Reserve due to its ecological sensitivity. Kali Tiger Reserve, formerly known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, is located in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The reserve borders Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka and connects to Radhanagari and Koyna sanctuaries in Maharashtra. The Kali River flows through the reserve and is a vital water source for the region.

Notes:
A new flowering plant species named Portulaca bharat was recently discovered in the Aravali hills near Jaipur. It is endemic to India and currently known only from the Galtaji hills. Its limited distribution and specific habitat make it highly vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss. The plant has unique features like opposite and slightly concave leaves, pale-yellow flowers that turn creamish-white at the tip, thick roots, and glandular hairs on stamen filaments. This rare discovery highlights the ecological importance of the Aravali region.

Notes:
The Central Government has approved ₹951.27 crore for building the Tura Bypass in Meghalaya. The bypass will connect National Highway-127B (NH-127B) to National Highway-217 (NH-217) with a 2-lane road and paved shoulders. It will cover 29.03 km in Tura district and begin at Sanchonggre village and end at Jenggitchakgre village. It aims to ease congestion, improve travel time, and boost freight movement. The project will also enhance road safety and regional connectivity.

Notes:
Recently, Mount Lewotobi Lakilaki in Indonesia erupted, sending an ash cloud up to 11 kilometers high. It is located in East Nusa Tenggara province on Flores Island, Indonesia. The volcano lies along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a zone of high volcanic activity.

Notes:
The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the Maharashtra Agriculture-Artificial Intelligence (MahaAgri-AI) Policy 2025-2029 to modernize agriculture using Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, drones, and predictive analytics. The policy aims to boost farm productivity and technology adoption in rural areas. Innovation and incubation centres will be set up at four agricultural universities with guidance from top institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc).