Current Affairs - June 11, 2025 Current Affairs

Poson Poya is a significant Buddhist festival celebrated in Sri Lanka to honour the introduction of Buddhism to the island in the 3rd century BCE. It commemorates the moment when Arahat Mahinda, son of Indian Emperor Ashoka, delivered the first Buddhist sermon to King Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale. This event is regarded as the formal beginning of Theravāda Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Celebrations involve religious observances, illuminated streets, and pilgrimages to Mihintale and Anuradhapura. In 2025, the Sri Lankan government arranged special train services to facilitate pilgrim travel, and the Indian High Commission contributed with an exhibition on shared Buddhist heritage.

The International Day of Play is celebrated annually on June 11, serving as a unified global effort to highlight the importance of play in human development, particularly for children. This date was chosen to raise awareness about the need to incorporate play into everyday life across educational, social, and policy contexts. Since its first observance on June 11, 2024, the day has become a platform for governments, educators, caregivers, and organizations to advocate for play-friendly environments. Recognizing June 11 as the official day ensures consistent, coordinated efforts worldwide to promote the value and necessity of play.

Mumbai has been ranked 6th globally out of 97 cities for under-construction data centre capacity in the 2025 edition of Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Data Center Market Comparison report. With 335 MW currently being developed, Mumbai also leads the Asia-Pacific region and accounts for over half of India’s total data centre capacity. This growth is fueled by increasing demand from hyperscalers, expanding AI and cloud computing applications, and strong digital and power infrastructure. The city’s data centre boom is expected to raise operational capacity by 62%, underscoring Mumbai’s emergence as a major global hub for digital infrastructure development.

India’s first underwater museum and artificial coral reef is set to be established near Nivati Rocks at Vengurla in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. The site will revolve around the decommissioned Indian Navy warship INS Guldar, which will serve as a centrepiece to promote both marine biodiversity and tourism. Supported by the central government, the project aims to attract eco-tourism through activities such as scuba diving and, in the future, submarine tours. The museum will not only contribute to marine conservation by fostering artificial reefs but will also open new avenues for sustainable tourism and environmental education.

Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, announced that it will launch its first-ever consumer-focused AR smart glasses, named "Specs", in 2026. This marks a major strategic push into the wearable augmented reality space, positioning Snap to compete directly with tech giants like Meta, which already has AR smart glasses on the market. Snap’s announcement reflects over a decade of AR development and a $3 billion investment in this technology. The new smart glasses will be lightweight, powered by Snap’s AR tools like Lens Studio, and are intended for mass-market use, distinguishing them from Snap’s previous limited or developer-only releases.

Bengaluru has recently earned the title of India’s ‘Leopard Capital’ after a comprehensive year-long survey by the Holématthi Nature Foundation revealed an estimated 80–85 wild leopards living on the city’s outskirts. This surpasses Mumbai’s leopard population of 54 and highlights Bengaluru’s unique ecological setting as a major metropolitan area coexisting with apex predators. The survey covered areas like Bannerghatta National Park and adjacent forested zones, using over 250 camera traps across 282 sq km. The findings emphasize the city's rich biodiversity and the urgent need for sustainable conservation strategies to ensure long-term leopard-human coexistence in urban fringe habitats.

At the Austrian Racewalking Championships held in Innsbruck, Priyanka Goswami secured the gold medal in the women’s 10km race with an impressive time of 47:54. This achievement marks a significant highlight in her athletic career and underscores India’s growing presence in the international racewalking circuit. Her victory contributed to an overall strong showing by Indian racewalkers, with Sandeep Kumar winning silver in the men’s 35km event and Ram Baboo claiming bronze. Goswami’s performance not only earned her top honours but also reflected her continued consistency and dominance in the sport at an international level.

In June 2025, Katrina Kaif was officially named the Global Tourism Ambassador for the Maldives by the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). This move aims to rejuvenate the country's tourism appeal, particularly among Indian and international travellers, and aligns with the Maldives' broader strategy to position itself as a premier luxury destination. Kaif’s strong global image, especially in South Asia, is expected to amplify the outreach of campaigns such as the Visit Maldives Summer Sale. Her appointment also aligns with diplomatic efforts to strengthen India-Maldives ties ahead of PM Modi’s visit, marking a blend of tourism promotion and soft diplomacy.

Iran has confirmed a major energy collaboration with Russia, where eight nuclear reactors will be constructed across the country to boost its civilian nuclear infrastructure. The agreement, reaffirmed by Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), marks a significant step in Iran’s strategic plan to triple its nuclear energy output. The project is being carried out in partnership with Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom, with four reactors specifically planned in Bushehr Province. This initiative reflects growing energy ties between Tehran and Moscow while helping Iran reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Punjab has experienced a significant 20% rise in cotton cultivation in 2025, expanding from 2.49 lakh acres to 2.98 lakh acres—an increase of over 49,000 acres. This growth is part of the state's broader effort to diversify crops and reduce reliance on paddy. Districts such as Fazilka, Mansa, Bathinda, and Sri Muktsar Sahib have led the increase, supported by government measures like a 33% subsidy on cotton seeds and mandatory digital registration for farmers. The initiative aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices and improve the state’s ecological balance by reducing water-intensive crops.

The World Bank has maintained its GDP growth projection for India at 6.3% for FY2025–26, despite downgrading forecasts for 70% of global economies due to trade tensions and weak investment. India remains the fastest-growing major economy, supported by strong domestic demand, a resilient services sector, and moderating inflation. The RBI's monetary policy easing and expected fiscal consolidation further bolster this outlook. While global growth is projected at just 2.3%—the slowest since 2008 (excluding recessions)—India's steady performance highlights its economic resilience amid worldwide challenges.

The Maharashtra government has launched a geo-tagged 13-digit unique ID system for all infrastructure projects to enhance transparency and monitoring. This digital initiative, implemented through the Infra ID portal, will help track projects in real time, prevent duplication, and improve inter-departmental coordination. The system will first be tested in the Wardha district before expanding statewide by October 2025, with all projects since 2020 expected to be registered by March 2026. This reform aims to streamline infrastructure management and ensure better governance through centralized, digitized project data.