Daily Current Affairs- 28th June 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 28th June 2025

⁠India’s Longest Animal Overpass Corridor Unveiled on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

In the News: Authorities inaugurated India’s longest animal overpass corridor—a 12 km eco-sensitive wildlife passage—on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, slicing through the buffer zone of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, aimed at safeguarding wildlife movement and reducing roadkill.

Key Points:

• Corridor Commissioning: The 12 km stretch along the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, cutting through Ranthambore Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone, was unveiled in late June 2025 as India’s first major expressway section explicitly designed for wildlife conservation. 
• Overpass & Underpass Infrastructure: Five wildlife overpasses (~500 m each) enable animal crossings without intersecting traffic. One underpass (1.2 km long) is India’s longest dedicated wildlife tunnel. All structures are aligned with natural terrain to facilitate seamless animal movement.  
• Habitat & Noise Mitigation: Barriers include 4 m boundary walls and 2 m sound walls to keep animals off highway lanes and suppress traffic noise.  
• Green Cover & Ecological Features: About 35,000 trees were planted along the corridor. The design complements wider expressway eco‑measures, such as drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting every 500 m.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Developed by NHAI, with ecological design guidance from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Ministry of Environment & Forests.
• Wildlife Impact: Corridor supports safe movement of tigers, leopards, bears, and other species, marking a key step in reducing human-wildlife conflict.

 India’s Strategic Autonomy on Display at SCO 2025 

In the News At the SCO 2025 Defence Ministers’ meeting held in Qingdao, China (June 24–27, 2025), India showcased its strategic autonomy by refusing to sign the joint defence communique. The decision came after the draft omitted explicit reference to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, while including mention of events in Pakistan—a move New Delhi viewed as “pro-Pakistan” and reflecting “double standards” on terrorism.

Key Points

• Firm Anti‑Terror Stance: India declined to endorse the final document due to inadequate mention of the Pahalgam terror attack and reluctance to hold perpetrators accountable, citing the draft's failure to address cross-border terrorism robustly. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called out “double standards” and underscored the need for no tolerance toward state-sheltered terror operations.
• Principled Autonomy: India’s choice not to sign demonstrated its strategic autonomy—prioritizing national security imperatives over diplomatic conformity when core issues like terrorism are sidelined in multilateral settings.
• Unified Messaging at SCO: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval urged SCO members to abandon selective approaches to terrorism and to develop a joint information operation for counter-terror collaboration.
• Diplomatic Engagement: Beyond messaging, Defence Minister Singh held substantive bilateral talks: With China’s Admiral Dong Jun—reviving military communication lines post-LAC tensions. With counterparts from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus—highlighting India's self-reliance (‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’) through gift diplomacy (e.g. Madhubani painting, Lord Nataraj idol).
• Assertion of Sovereignty : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reinforced India’s stance, affirming the refusal was due to terrorism’s omission and reflecting a principled, security-first foreign policy. 

⁠JioBlackRock Broking Gets SEBI Nod to Launch Brokerage Operations

In the News: On June 27, 2025, Jio BlackRock Broking Pvt Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of the 50:50 Jio Financial–BlackRock joint venture received final approval from SEBI to launch its stock broking and clearing operations in India.

Key Points:

• SEBI Approval: Jio BlackRock Broking Pvt Ltd obtained its Certificate of Registration on June 25, 2025, from SEBI, enabling it to offer full-fledged brokerage and clearing services.
• JV Structure & Strategy: The broking arm is under Jio BlackRock Investment Advisers, itself a 50:50 JV between Jio Financial Services and BlackRock Inc.   It's part of a larger ambition to create an end-to-end investment ecosystem—covering advisory, mutual funds, brokerage, and clearing.
• Tech-Driven Access: The venture aims to democratize capital market access by delivering "affordable, transparent, and technology-driven execution capabilities" to retail investors. With mutual fund and advisory approvals already secured (June 2025 and May 2025), the broking license completes the ecosystem. 
• Market Reaction: Following the approval, Jio Financial Services shares jumped 4–5%: hitting an intraday high of ₹329.30 and closing around ₹323–₹326. The rise reflects investor optimism on the firm’s diversified financial services ambitions. 
• Leadership Vision: Marc Pilgrem (MD & CEO, Jio BlackRock Investment Advisers) emphasized the integration of personalized advice and execution tools. Hitesh Sethia (MD & CEO, Jio Financial Services) called the development a key step in “democratizing investments in India”. 

 OECD’s Report on Drought Costs 

In the News:  In June 2025, the OECD released its Global Drought Outlook: Trends, Impacts, and Policies to Adapt to a Drier World, spotlighting the urgent economic, environmental, and social costs of drought — and projecting substantial increases in the coming decade.

Key Points:

• Rising Frequency & Severity: 40% of global land now experiences more frequent and intense droughts — a doubling since the early 1900s. In 2023, nearly half of the Earth faced at least one month of extreme drought.
• Escalating Economic Costs: Average drought events today are 2–6× more expensive than in 2000, increasing annually by 3–7.5%.  By 2035, drought-related economic losses are projected to rise by at least 35% — possibly up to 110%. o
• Sectoral Impacts: In agriculture, crop yields can fall by 5–22% during severe drought years. Droughts disrupt trade, energy, and industry — reducing hydropower output by >25% and disrupting river transport by 10–40%.
• Environmental Consequences: Since 1980, 37% of global land lost significant soil moisture; 62% of monitored aquifers show declining levels. Drought-driven biodiversity loss, desertification, lower river flows, and weakened ecosystem services.
• Social Toll: Droughts account for 34% of disaster-related deaths, worsen poverty, and trigger displacement—especially in vulnerable regions like sub‑Saharan Africa. proactive
• Policy Needed: An urgent need for coordinated national and international resilience strategies: water recycling/harvesting, drought-resistant crops, improved irrigation, sustainable land use. Every ₹1 invested in drought resilience yields ~₹10 in economic returns—and early action is vital. 

⁠Rwanda and Congo Sign Peace Agreement

In the News: On June 27, 2025, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington aimed at ending decades of conflict—even though critics noted the absence of rebel groups like M23 from the deal.

Key Points:

•  Peace Agreement Signing: Foreign ministers from Rwanda and the DRC signed the accord in the U.S. State Department's Treaty Room with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio present. It commits both nations to cease hostilities, respect territorial integrity, and halt support to rebel groups.
• Troop Withdrawal: Rwanda is to withdraw its military forces from eastern DRC within 90 days. The DRC will end military operations targeting the FDLR militia in parallel.
• Security Coordination: A joint security mechanism must be set up within 30 days, with ongoing support for peace talks in Doha.
• Economic Framework: A regional economic integration and mineral development framework is scheduled to be launched within 90 days, aiming to attract Western investment in critical minerals, including cobalt, lithium, and tantalum . 
• S. Mediation and Interests: The agreement was mediated by the U.S., with active roles by President Trump and Secretary Rubio. It ties peace to U.S. access to DRC’s mineral resources, raising both strategic and ethical debates .
• Omitted Rebel Groups: Key armed factions like M23 did not participate, casting doubts on the deal’s comprehensiveness. Analysts and human rights advocates cited ongoing instability and insufficient mechanisms for accountability . 

UN80 Initiative

In the News: UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the UN80 Initiative, a comprehensive reform agenda marking the UN’s 80th anniversary, aimed at modernizing the UN system to improve efficiency, mandate integration, and structural responsiveness to global challenges.

Key Points:

• Launch & Purpose: Introduced in March 2025, the initiative seeks to equip the UN for the next decades by ensuring “value for money” while bolstering multilateralism amid financial pressures and rising geopolitical tensions.
• Three Reform Workstreams: Efficiency & Optimization – Streamlining internal functions, centralizing finance/payroll, relocating roles to lower-cost offices, and leveraging automation.
• Mandate Implementation Review – Auditing ~40,000 accumulated mandates (4,000+ just in the Secretariat) to identify overlaps, redundancies, and inactive agendas.
• Structural & Programme Realignment – Reassessing UN system structure (including peace/security, development, agencies) for coherence and delivery impact.
• Governance & TimeLine: The UN80 Task Force, chaired by Guy Ryder, leads the reform. Efficie

ncy proposals due June 2025, mandate review by July, and broader reforms slated for late 2025/early 2026. Structural changes are intended to inform the 2026 UN budget proposals and be implemented through Budget cycles in 2026–27.

• Budget Context: UN funding dropped from ~$69 bn to ~$50 bn in recent years; efficiency cuts include 15–20% budget and staff reductions. Centralization of services (e.g., payroll from 10 to 3 centres) is a key cost-saving measure.
• Driving Forces: Reform driven by liquidity crisis (large unpaid dues), donor fatigue, geopolitical polarization, and the need for UN relevance in managing global threats: conflict, climate, displacement, tech. Implementation urged across all UN bodies—Secretariat, funds, agencies in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna
• ..Proactive Stakeholder Engagement: The initiative welcomes member states’ input; local peacebuilders advocate for decentralized decision-making and stronger local agency engagement. 

 UN’s Seville Development Conference (FFD4): Goals, Gaps, and Global Tensions  

In the News: At the 4th UN Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, Spain (June 29 – July 3, 2025), global leaders gathered to negotiate the “Seville Commitment”—a 38‑page political declaration aimed at restructuring international aid, tax regimes, debt frameworks, and climate finance to close a persistent US $4 trillion Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) financing gap.

Key Points:

• Seville Commitment Adopted: Leaders endorsed a political blueprint emphasizing debt swaps, disaster‑linked debt pauses, global solidarity levies (pollution/wealth taxes), tax reforms, and enhanced climate finance mechanisms.
• Global Participation & U.S. Absence: Over 70 heads of state attended (e.g., Macron, Ramaphosa), but the U.S. withdrew due to disagreements over climate, sustainability, and gender references.
• Addressing Debt Crisis: Key proposals include debt-for-climate swaps, restructuring frameworks, and consideration of a UN sovereign debt mechanism, though details remain contested.
• Tax Justice Agenda: Hopes for global tax reforms, including combating illicit flows and solidarity levies, meet resistance from wealthier nations concerned about sovereignty and differentiated responsibility.
• Private Finance Mobilization: Emphasis on using public funds to "de-risk" private investments, scaling development financing through blended finance and state roles in shaping markets 
• Climate & Resilience Focus: Strong consensus on mobilizing climate adaptation funds, integrating finance with SDGs and Paris goals, and engaging development banks.
• Systemic Reform Push: Calls to reform the international financial architecture (IMF/World Bank governance, credit ratings, debt registry) to empower Global South voice and resilience  

⁠Kerala Tops National Evaluation of Protected Areas for 2020–2025

In the News: On June 28, 2025, Kerala secured the top position (alongside Chandigarh) in the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across India for the 2020–25 period. The evaluation, conducted by MoEFCC at ICCON 2025, assessed 438 protected areas based on IUCN-WCPA criteria.

Key Points:

• Top Rankings: Kerala UT/State Rank: Highest among Indian states with a mean MEE score of 22%, classified as 'Very Good' .
• National Parks: Kerala's Ernakulam NP shared the top spot with Jammu & Kashmir’s Dachigam NP, both scoring 97%. Other Kerala standouts: Mathikettan Shola NP (90.63%) and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (89.84%) ranked fifth and sixth respectively
• Statewide Performance: Out of 21 protected areas in Kerala, 20 showed improved MEE scores over the previous cycle. Only Mangala Vanam Bird Sanctuary in Kochi declined due to untreated sewage, noise, lack of management plan, and pollution.
• Site-specific Challenges: Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary: Strained by feral cattle and inadequate habitat monitoring. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary: Persistent human-wildlife conflict due to encroachment, cattle presence; need for invasive species control, tribal relocation, and corridor integration. Anamudi Shola NP: Pressure from increased road traffic impacting the park.
• National Progress: The average MEE score across the country rose from 60.52% to 41%, with 84 protected areas rated 'Very Good' and most others in 'Good’ category. Ladakh scored lowest at 34.9%, marked as 'Poor'