Daily Current Affairs- 11th June 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 11th June 2025

Maharashtra Introduces Geo‑Tagged Unique ID for Infra Projects

In the News: As of June 11, 2025, the Maharashtra government has launched a digital reform initiative to assign a geo‑tagged 13‑digit alphanumeric Unique Infrastructure Facility ID (UIFID) to every public infrastructure project statewide. The initiative, piloted in Wardha, will expand statewide from October 1, 2025, and aims to streamline project tracking, prevent duplication, and enhance transparency.

Key Points:

• UIFID Assignment: Every public infrastructure asset—such as hospitals, schools, irrigation works, power substations, and public toilets—will receive a UIFID at the time of administrative approval. This ID incorporates a state code, sanction year, scheme abbreviation, district code, asset type, and serial number.
• Pilot & Rollout Plan: The system went live in Wardha in June 2025, with a full-scale rollout across Maharashtra starting October 1, 2025.
• Geo‑Tagging & Monitoring: Managed by the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC), all projects will be digitally mapped (points, lines, or polygons). No payment will be made on invoices lacking a valid UIID, ensuring compliance.
• Duplication Prevention: The portal cross-checks new asset registrations against existing infrastructure nearby. Alerts trigger if similar facilities exist, reducing redundant investment and optimizing resource utilization.
• Reporting & Coordination: Real‑time dashboards and customised reports will support inter‑departmental coordination and evidence‑based decision‑making. District collectors will oversee monthly reviews via district-level committees.
• Data Cleanup Timeline: Authorities must upload records for all projects sanctioned or completed between 2020–2025 by March 31, 2026.
• Alignment with National Digital Missions: The initiative complements national efforts such as PM Gati Shakti and Gram Man Chitra, fostering balanced regional development and streamlined governance. 

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: 103 Redeveloped Stations Inaugurated

In the News: On May 22, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 103 redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS). These stations span 86 districts across 18 states and union territories, built at a combined cost of over ₹1,100 crore.

Key Points:

• Scheme Launch & Goals: The ABSS was launched in February 2023, aiming to upgrade around 1,300 railway stations into modern, passenger-centric hubs incorporating regional architectural themes
• Inauguration Details: On May 22, 2025, PM Modi flagged off 103 stations via video conference from Bikaner, Rajasthan, including stations such as Deshnoke (Rajasthan), Panagarh (West Bengal), and Haibargaon (Assam).
• Geographic Spread & Investment: These stations cover 86 districts in 18 States/UTs, with the ₹1,100+ crore investment benefitting regions like Uttar Pradesh (19 stations), Gujarat (18), Maharashtra (15), Tamil Nadu (9), and more .
• Modern Amenities: Upgrades include climate-controlled waiting halls, lifts and escalators, digital display boards, improved sanitation, ramp-enabled accessibility, and eco-friendly designs reflecting local culture
• Economic & Cultural Impact: The redevelopments are expected to enhance connectivity, boost regional tourism, foster economic growth, and provide a ‘city-centre’ experience at railway stations.
• Phase-Wise Rollout: Redevelopment work began in 2023–24 across 1,062 stations, with the first phase completing upgrades at 103 stations and plans to renovate 500 more by 2027.
• Notable Station Upgrades: Haibargaon (Assam): First in Assam under ABSS, redevelopment cost ₹15.85 crore, blending Assamese cultural motifs. Karchhana (Uttar Pradesh): Upgraded at ₹9.8 crore, featuring a new building, platform, and foot-over bridge. Jharkhand Stations: Govindpur, Shankarpur, and Rajmahal, collectively worth ₹6.65 crore, modernized with improved accessibility and waiting lounges. 

Mumbai Ranks 6th Globally in Under‑Construction Data Centre Capacity

In the News: According to Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Data Center Market Comparison 2025, Mumbai has risen to 6th position globally in data centre capacity currently under construction, overtaking major global hubs including London and Dublin.

Key Points:

• Global Ranking (6th): Mumbai ranks 6th out of 97 global cities, with 335 MW of data centre capacity under construction as of end‑2024.
• Growth Impact: Once completed, this pipeline will increase the city’s operational capacity by approximately 62%.
• National Significance: Mumbai accounts for 42% of India’s total under‑construction data centre capacity.
• APAC Context: The city is also the 7th most established data centre market in Asia‑Pacific.
• Drivers of Growth: Expansion is fuelled by increasing demand from cloud computing, AI workloads, enhanced power infrastructure, land availability, and robust digital infrastructure including new submarine cables landing in Mumbai.
• Emerging Regional Trends: In the broader region, cities like Pune (4th) and Bengaluru (5th) among APAC hubs highlight India’s rising status in data‑centre development.
• Sector Outlook in India: India’s total operational data centre capacity, around 950 MW in 2024, is expected to nearly double to 1.8 GW by 2026, with Mumbai playing a central role. 

Bengaluru Becomes India’s ‘Leopard Capital’, Surpassing Mumbai

In the News: A year-long camera-trap survey conducted by the Holématthi Nature Foundation revealed that Bengaluru now hosts an estimated 80–85 wild leopards in its forested outskirts—surpassing Mumbai’s documented figure of 54 leopards, thereby earning the title of India’s ‘Leopard Capital’.

Key Points:

• Survey Findings (2024–25): Led by conservation biologist Dr Sanjay Gubbi, the study deployed over 250 camera traps across 282 km² of mixed habitat zones—such as Bannerghatta National Park, Turahalli, B.M. Kaval, U.M. Kaval, Roerich Estate, Sulikere, Hesaraghatta, Marasandra, and Manduru—detecting 80–85 leopards.
• Bangeluru vs Mumbai: With 80–85 leopards, including 54 inside Bannerghatta National Park and roughly 30 in surrounding forests, Bengaluru surpasses Mumbai’s 54-leopard count.
• Rising Numbers in BNP: Leopard counts in Bannerghatta NP have grown steadily: 40 in 2019, 47 in 2020, and 54 in 2025.
• Drivers of Growth: Improved prey availability and stricter protection efforts are credited; past translocation of conflict leopards may also have boosted numbers.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: The survey also recorded 34 mammal species, including tigers, dholes, elephants, gaur, and sambar—highlighting Bengaluru’s ecological richness and the need for further habitat conservation.
• Policy Recommendations: The HNF suggests declaring key areas like B.M. Kaval, U.M. Kaval, Roerich Estate, and Gollahalli Gudda as Conservation Reserves, expanding Bannerghatta NP boundaries, safeguarding wildlife corridors, intensifying community outreach, and halting further leopard translocations. 

High Seas Treaty Gains Momentum at UN Ocean Conference

In the News: During the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France (June 9–13, 2025), 18 additional countries ratified the High Seas Treaty, officially known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Treaty), raising the total to 49 ratifications—just 11 short of the 60-required thresholds for entry into force.

Key Points:

• Ratification Surge: On June 10, 2025, countries including Guinea‑Bissau, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Malta, Vietnam, Jamaica, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Fiji, Mauritania, Vanuatu, Greece, and Jordan deposited their instruments, moving the total to 49.
• Entry‑Into‑Force Conditions: The treaty requires 60 ratifications to trigger a 120‑day countdown to entry into force. At 49 ratifications, just 11 more are need.
• Scope & Objectives: It is the first legally binding framework to protect marine biodiversity in international waters—covering nearly two‑thirds of the ocean. It mandates creation of marine protected areas (MPAs), environmental impact assessments (EIAs), technology sharing, capacity building, and fair benefit sharing from marine genetic.
• Global Governance Framework: The treaty establishes Conference of Parties (COP), a Scientific & Technical Body, and oversight mechanisms. COP1 must occur within one year of entry .
• Fast‑Track Momentum: UN Secretary‑General António Guterres called the speed of ratification “a record,” noting it’s much faster than UNCLOS’s 12‑year journey to entry into .
• Anticipated Timeline: French President Macron and environmental actors suggest that reaching 60 ratifications may come by late 2025 or early 2026, setting the effective date in early 2026. 

Russia to Build Eight Nuclear Reactors in Iran, Confirms Iranian Atomic Chief

In the News: On June 9–10, 2025, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization President Mohammad Eslami confirmed that Russia will construct eight nuclear power plants in Iran under a previously-signed agreement, with four of them slated for the Bushehr region.

Key Points:

• Major Expansion Deal: Eslami and Iranian parliamentary officials affirmed that eight new nuclear reactors will be built in Iran, part of the bilateral nuclear cooperation framework with Russia.
• Bushehr Focus: Half of the planned reactors—four units—will be constructed in Bushehr, adjacent to the existing first reactor complex.
• Ongoing Bushehr Development: Units 2 and 3 at Bushehr are currently under construction by Iranian companies, supported by Russian efforts and financed via Moscow’s credit line.
• Strategic Growth in Nuclear Power: This expansion is part of Iran’s ambition to triple its civilian nuclear capacity, complementing its existing reactor at Bushehr and planned indigenous reactors like Derzhavin.
• Russia’s Role: Russia’s state nuclear agency, Rosatom, has been a key collaborator, previously completing Bushehr‑1 and now expanding Russia’s footprint in Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy sector.
• Geopolitical Dimensions: Amid U.S. and European scrutiny over Iran’s nuclear activities, Russia also offered to remove Iran’s excess highly enriched uranium—signalling strategic and diplomatic leverage . 

Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough in Germany

In the News: On June 11, 2025, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald, Germany, using the stellarator Wendelstein 7‑X reactor, sustained a fusion plasma for 43 seconds, setting a new record and marking a key milestone toward making fusion a viable energy source.

Key Points:

• Record-Breaking Pulse Duration: On May 22, 2025, during the OP 2.3 experimental campaign, Wendelstein 7‑X held a high-performance plasma with a world-record triple product—a measure combining plasma temperature, density, and confinement—continuously for 43 seconds.
• Advanced Fuel Delivery: The record was achieved by injecting approximately 90 frozen hydrogen pellets over the 43 seconds, coordinated with powerful microwave heating and enabled by a new pellet-injector system from Oak Ridge National Laboratory .
• High Thermal Conditions: The plasma reached temperatures above 20 million °C, peaking around 30 million °C—bringing its triple product performance on par with leading tokamaks, but over a much longer duration.
• Energy Throughput Improvements: The OP 2.3 campaign also saw Wendelstein 7‑X set an energy turnover record of 8 GJ over a 360-second run, surpassing previous marks.
• Why It Matters: Sustaining high triple product values over long durations is crucial for achieving net energy gain. Stellarators like W7‑X, with their continuous-operation design, may offer a more stable path than pulsed tokamaks.
• Global Collaboration: The breakthrough is the result of international cooperation involving EURO fusion, U.S. labs (Oak Ridge, Princeton), Spanish (CIEMAT), German (KIT, Stuttgart), and Hungarian (HUN‑REN).