IMPORTANT DAYS

World Milk Day 2025 celebrated on June 1.

• Every year on June 1st, World Milk Day is celebrated globally to honour the importance of milk and the dairy industry.

• The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN started this day in 2001.

• The 2025 theme is “Let’s Celebrate the Power of Dairy.”

• Milk provides essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, and vitamin D, helping build strong bones and support heart health.

• Dr Verghese Kurien is famously known as India’s “Father of the White Revolution.”

• India has led the world in milk production since 1998 and now contributes about 25% to global output.

• While global milk production grows by around 2% each year, India’s per capita availability has surged by 48% over the last decade.

• Uttar Pradesh ranked as India’s top milk-producing state for 2023–24.

Telangana Formation Day 2025 celebrated on June 2.

• Telangana marked its 12th Formation Day on June 2, 2025, with CM A Revanth Reddy hoisting the flag at Secunderabad Parade Ground.

• The state came into existence on 2 June 2014 as India’s 29th state, carved from ten districts of Andhra Pradesh.

• The day is celebrated every year as ‘Telangana Day’, reflecting the state’s identity and progress.

• Over 460 police and fire service personnel were honoured with this year’s ‘Pathakam’ awards for exemplary dedication and courage.

• The elite Greyhounds unit’s Shaurya Pathakam was awarded to Chowdhary Mahesh, G. Shobhan, and A. Rakesh Kumar for remarkable bravery.

• B. Srinivas Rao and others received the Mahonnatha Seva Pathakam for outstanding service.

• These medals, along with cash rewards, were officially presented during the state’s formation day ceremony.

• Telangana’s capital is Hyderabad; it has 17 Lok Sabha and 119 assembly seats, with Shri Jishnu Dev Varma as Governor and A Revanth Reddy as Chief Minister.

APPOINTMENTS

Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana Takes Over as Commander-in-Chief of Andaman & Nicobar Command

• Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana assumed charge as the 18th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command on June 1, 2025.

• The Andaman & Nicobar Command, headquartered at Sri Vijaya Puram, is India’s only integrated tri-services operational command.

• He was commissioned into the 10th Battalion of The Garhwal Rifles on December 19, 1987.

• His leadership experience includes commanding an Infantry Brigade and a Division in the Eastern Sector.

• He has also commanded the Gajraj Corps along the Line of Actual Control.

• Before this appointment, he served as the Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

• He is the first Chief of Defence Intelligence to rise to the position of Commander-in-Chief.

• His extensive operational and intelligence background is set to strengthen India’s strategic presence in the region.

NATIONAL NEWS

BharatGen: India’s First Multimodal AI-Based LLM for Indian Languages

• On June 2, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched BharatGen, India’s first government-funded multimodal AI LLM for Indian languages.

• The launch happened at the BharatGen Summit, India’s biggest event dedicated to Generative AI and LLM innovation.

• Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), it is driven by the TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay.

• BharatGen supports 22 Indian languages and combines text, image, and speech to ensure ethical and inclusive AI tools.

• This initiative aligns with PM Modi’s vision of a "Techade for India", promoting digital growth and innovation.

• The AI model aims to enhance areas like education, healthcare, governance, and agriculture with localised solutions.

• The Generative AI Hackathon 2025 was launched alongside to motivate students to tackle practical challenges using AI.

• The project runs through a network of 25 Technology Innovation Hubs, with four upgraded to Technology Translational Research Parks, focusing on tech, startups, talent, and global ties.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

India Hosts IATA AGM 2024: Major Highlights for Civil Aviation

• India welcomed the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in New Delhi on June 2, after a gap of 42 years.

• PM Narendra Modi addressed the gathering, spotlighting India as the world’s third largest domestic aviation market.

• The event attracted over 1,600 aviation leaders, industry experts, and media representatives from across the globe.

• India was showcased as a strong investment hub for aviation, driven by investor-friendly policies and skilled professionals.

• The nation’s airport network expanded from 74 in 2014 to 162 in 2024, with an aim to build 50 more in the next five years.

• Focus was placed on making India a global MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) powerhouse by 2030.

• PM Modi hailed the UDAN regional scheme as a game-changer, with 619 routes boosting affordable air travel.

• India’s aviation sector fuels the economy by directly employing 369,700 people and indirectly supporting about 7.7 million jobs, contributing $53.6 billion annually.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

Government Reduces Import Duty on Crude Edible Oils to Control Prices

• The basic customs duty on crude palm oil, crude soyabean oil, and crude sunflower oil has been cut to 10%.

• This move is intended to lower cooking oil prices and safeguard domestic processing units.

• Earlier, the duty on these three crude edible oils was raised to 20% on 14 September 2024.

• With this revision, the total effective import duty, including other charges, drops to 16.5% from the earlier 27.5%.

• The duty on refined edible oils remains unchanged at 32.5%, with an effective duty of 35.75%.

• India relies heavily on imports, meeting over half of its edible oil needs from other countries.

• In the 2023–24 oil year, India’s edible oil imports touched 159.6 lakh tonnes.

• Major import partners include Malaysia and Indonesia for palm oil, and Brazil and Argentina for soyabean oil.