IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day Against Child Labour 2025 Observed on June 12.

• June 12 marks the annual World Day Against Child Labour, aimed at raising awareness and accelerating action to eliminate child labour globally.

• The 2025 theme, “Progress is clear, but there's more to do: let’s speed up efforts!”, emphasizes the need to intensify global initiatives.

• Despite notable progress, an estimated 160 million children—or 1 in every 10 worldwide—remain in child labour.

• Between 2000 and 2020, global child labour rates dropped significantly, with 85.5 million fewer children involved.

• On average, just 1.1% of global GDP is spent on child-focused social protection programs—dropping to 0.4% in Africa.

• Africa reports the highest figures, with 72 million children engaged in labour—one in five of all children in the region.

• Asia and the Pacific follows, where 7% of children are involved in child labour, totaling 62 million across the region.

NATIONAL NEWS

NaMo App Launches ‘Jan Man Survey’ to Mark PM Modi’s 11 Years in Office

• The NaMo App introduced the ‘Jan Man Survey’ to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-year tenure in office.

• Within just 26 hours, the survey attracted over 5 lakh responses, reflecting massive public interest.

• Citizens were invited to share direct feedback on key issues like governance, youth empowerment, national security, and cultural identity.

• An impressive 77% of users completed the entire survey, showcasing high engagement levels.

• Uttar Pradesh topped participation with 1.41 lakh responses, followed by Maharashtra (65,775) and Tamil Nadu (62,580).

• Other significant contributions came from Gujarat (43,590) and Haryana (29,985).

• The initiative underlines the government’s commitment to inclusive governance through digital outreach and citizen participation.

RANKING AND INDEX

India Becomes World’s Most Populous Nation, Says UN Report 2025

• As of April 2025, India’s population has reached 1.4639 billion, surpassing China’s 1.4161 billion, according to the UN’s “State of the World Population 2025” report.

• The country's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.9, falling below the replacement level of 2.1.

• Despite the declining fertility rate, India’s population is projected to grow for four more decades, potentially peaking at 1.7 billion.

• The 2021 Census has been postponed and is now expected to be completed by March 2027.

• TFR trends from recent surveys suggest India has already achieved replacement-level fertility.

• The report shifts focus from population size to fertility aspirations vs. reality, emphasizing reproductive autonomy and informed family planning.

• India has a demographic advantage, with 68% of its population in the working-age group (15–64 years) and 24% under 15.

• Life expectancy in 2025 stands at 71 years for men and 74 years for women, with 7% of the population aged 65 and above, a number expected to grow with rising longevity.

India Slips to 131st in Global Gender Gap Index 2025

• India ranked 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, falling two spots from last year’s 129th position.

• Despite a slight overall improvement, India remains among the lowest-ranked nations in South Asia, with a gender parity score of 64.1%.

• Economic Participation and Opportunity saw a modest rise to 40.7%, driven by an increase in earned income parity from 28.6% to 29.9%.

• In educational attainment, India scored 97.1%, reflecting better literacy rates and higher female enrollment in tertiary education.

• Health and survival indicators showed progress, especially in sex ratio at birth and healthy life expectancy for women.

• A decline in political empowerment was recorded, with female representation in Parliament dropping to 13.8% and ministerial roles falling to 5.6%.

• Among South Asian nations, Bangladesh ranked highest at 24th place, while Pakistan remained last at 148th; Nepal (125), Sri Lanka (130), Bhutan (119), and Maldives (138) fell in between.

• Iceland led the global rankings for the 16th year in a row, followed by Finland, Norway, the UK, and New Zealand, highlighting a persistent gap in gender parity worldwide.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

India’s Digital Economy to Power Nearly 20% of GDP by 2029-30

• India’s digital economy is projected to contribute 20% to GDP by 2029-30, becoming a key pillar of national growth under PM Modi’s leadership.

• The State of India’s Digital Economy Report 2024 ranks India 3rd globally in overall digitalization and 12th among G20 nations in personal digital usage.

• In 2022–23, the digital sector contributed ₹31.64 lakh crore (USD 402 billion), forming 11.74% of India’s GDP.

• This sector is expanding twice as fast as the broader economy, with productivity nearly five times higher than other industries.

• Key growth drivers include ICT services, electronics manufacturing, and communication equipment, jointly contributing 7.83% to Gross Value Added (GVA).

• Digital platforms and intermediaries added 2% to GVA, with further 2% driven by digital transformation in BFSI, retail, and education.

• Emerging technologies like AI, cloud computing, and global capability centers are set to push the digital economy ahead of agriculture and manufacturing.

• In 2022–23, over 14.67 million people were employed in the digital space, with women’s participation rising and 58% working in enabling industries.

DEFENCE

India-France Joint Military Exercise SHAKTI-2025 to Be Held in France

• Exercise SHAKTI-2025, the 8th edition of the India-France joint military drill, is scheduled from 18 June to 1 July at La Cavalerie, France.

• The exercise is designed to strengthen joint capabilities in conducting multi-domain operations under sub-conventional conflict scenarios.

• It aims to improve interoperability and foster mutual understanding and cooperation between the armed forces of both nations.

• Personnel from both armies will exchange insights and experiences in tactics, techniques, and procedures for joint missions.

• The last edition (7th) of SHAKTI was hosted by India at Umroi, Meghalaya in May 2024.

• SHAKTI is a biennial training exercise, conducted alternately in India and France.

• The drill also plays a vital role in building military-to-military ties, teamwork, and battlefield coordination.

• It reflects the growing defence partnership between India and France, with focus on joint readiness and shared strategic goals.