Topic- 1: India–Switzerland Economic Partnership
GS-2 & 3: IR and Economy
The context:
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry held extensive engagements with Swiss industry leaders on 9th June 2025 in Bern, Switzerland, aimed at deepening economic cooperation and exploring new avenues under the signed Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
The Key Highlights:
-
- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry held extensive engagements with Swiss industry leaders in Bern to deepen economic cooperation under the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
- India was projected as a strategic hub for manufacturing, talent, and innovation, inviting Swiss companies to expand their presence and leverage the country’s dynamic market.
- The Minister met top executives from leading Swiss companies across sectors, focusing on innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable manufacturing collaborations.
- India assured Swiss investors of India’s transparent regulatory environment, strong intellectual property regime, and pro-investment policy frameworks.
- Two focused roundtables were chaired by the Minister on Biotech & Pharma, Healthcare, Precision Engineering, Defence, and Emerging Technologies, showcasing India’s affordability, scale, and innovation capacity.
- Swiss companies were encouraged to utilize the dedicated EFTA Desk at Invest India for facilitation and investment support.
- India expressed its willingness to pursue regulatory harmonization and mutual recognition agreements to ease bilateral trade and investment flows.
- The Minister interacted with the Switzerland Chapter of ICAI, appreciating their contribution to strengthening India–Switzerland business and professional ties.
- Swiss industry leaders expressed strong confidence in India’s growth trajectory, citing its large market, talent pool, and favourable business climate.
- Several firms showed active interest in joint ventures, local manufacturing, and R&D partnerships, viewing India as a natural partner and global value chain hub.
Source: PIB
Topic- 2: POSHAN Abhiyaan
GS-2 & 3: Governance &Economy
The context:
On 9 June 2025, this nutrition kit distribution made headlines because the Press Information Bureau (PIB) officially released, highlighting it as a key initiative under the POSHAN Abhiyaan.
The key Highlights:
-
- POSHAN Abhiyaan is a flagship initiative of the Government of India (GoI) aimed at combating malnutrition and promoting healthy growth and development in India.
- The Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road Transport & Highways, distributed around 500 nutrition kits to beneficiaries as part of the campaign.
- Addressing the gathering a reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition and building a brighter, healthier future for all citizens.
- The Government of India (GoI) highlighted that POSHAN Abhiyaan has triggered a nationwide Jan Andolan, encouraging behavioural change in nutrition and healthcare practices.
- The programme has significantly improved nutrition outcomes among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
- The POSHAN Tracker App for enabling real-time monitoring and facilitating timely interventions in nutrition services.
- India emphasized the success of inter-sectoral convergence and community engagement in promoting diet diversity, maternal health, and child development.
- Underscoring the importance of maternal nutrition, the Minister stressed its critical role in ensuring safe childbirth and healthy child development.
- It is called for collective action and personal responsibility in adopting healthy eating habits to build a healthier and more prosperous ‘Viksit Bharat’.
About the POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission):
-
- It was launched by the government on March 8, 2018.
- The Abhiyaan targets to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls)and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively.
- The target of the mission is to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
- Its aims to ensure service delivery and interventions by use of technology, behavioural changethrough convergence and lays-down specific targets to be achieved across different monitoring parameters.
- Under the Abhiyaan, Swasth Bharat Preraks will be deployed one in each district for coordinating with district officialsand enabling fast and efficient execution of the Abhiyaan across the country. Swasth Bharat Preraks would function as catalyst for fast tracking the implementation of the Abhiyaan.
POSHAN 2.0: The government has amalgamated various programmes with similar objectives such as Supplementary Nutrition Programme and POSHAN Abhiyaan under one umbrella–Mission POSHAN 2.0—for creating synergies in operations and adopting an integrated approach in the nutrition services mechanism.
Components:
-
- Convergence: The Abhiyaan is to ensure convergence of all nutrition related schemes of MWCD on the target population. The Abhiyaan will ensure convergence of various programmes.
- ICDS-CAS: Software based tracking of nutritional status will be done.
- Behavioral change: The Abhiyaan will be run as a Jan Andolan where mass involvement of people is desired. A community-based event will happen once a month to create awareness and address issues.
- Incentives: Front line workers will be given incentives for performance.
- Training and Capacity Building: Incremental Learning Approach will be adopted to teach 21 thematic modules. The training will be given by Master Trainers to front line workers.
- Grievance Redressal: A call centre will be set up for ease of access to solutions to any issues faced.
Source: PIB
Topic- 3: 11 Years of Seva, Good Governance & Welfare
GS- 2: Governance
The context:
On 9th June 2025, the Ministry of Minority Affairs Celebrates 11 Years of Seva, Good Governance & Welfare under Modi Government, commemorating the transformative journey of the Modi Government.
The celebration highlighted key milestones achieved during this period, underscoring the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and effective service delivery, such as:
-
- Digitization and Transparency: All ministry schemes are now executed or administered through dedicated portals, ensuring complete transparency and accessibility for beneficiaries.
- Third-Party Review & Audit: Rigorous third-party reviews and audits are conducted for all schemes to maintain accountability and improve effectiveness.
- Inclusive Policy Making: States and stakeholders have been actively involved, with their valuable inputs incorporated into policy frameworks to ensure ground realities are addressed.
- Waqf Amendment Act, 2025: Following extensive deliberations by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), the landmark Waqf Amendment Act was notified, strengthening Waqf governance and community welfare.
- Launch of UMEED Central Portal: On June 6, 2025, the Ministry launched the UMEED Central Portal, a pivotal digital platform aimed at streamlining welfare schemes and empowering minority communities.
- Central Rules under the Waqf Act: The formulation of Central Rules under the Act is at an advanced stage, expected to further bolster the implementation of the legislation.
Highlighted these achievements as foundational steps in the Ministry’s mission to uplift minority communities. The Ministry’s resolve to work diligently towards the vision of ViksitBharat@2047, pledging continued dedication to inclusive development. The event concluded with officials and employees collectively taking an oath to contribute wholeheartedly to realizing a prosperous and equitable India by 2047.
Source: PIB
Topic- 4: BHASHINI and Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) Sign MoU to Build Next-Gen Multilingual AI Solutions for Indian Railways
GS- 2 & 3: Governance and Science & Technology
The context:
AI-driven digital transformation in Indian Railways, the Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) and the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) 9th June 2025 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development and deployment of multilingual artificial intelligence solutions across key public-facing railway platforms.
The Key highlights:
-
- BHASHINI’s advanced language technologies—ASR, TTS, OCR, and Text Translation—will be integrated into CRIS-managed platforms like NTES and RailMadad to offer services in 22 Indian languages.
- This integration will allow millions of railway passengers to access key services without language barriers, ensuring wider reach and inclusivity.
- The partnership between CRIS and BHASHINI aims to implement AI-powered, multilingual solutions to enhance accessibility, transparency, and efficiency in passenger-facing services.
- Multilingual chatbots, voice assistants, and over-the-counter enquiry interfaces will be co-developed to support passengers in their native languages.
- The services will be deployed across digital platforms such as websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and call centers using both cloud and on-premise infrastructure for scalability.
- A series of technical workshops and pilot projects are planned, reinforcing the Digital India mission and positioning India as a global leader in language AI for public digital infrastructure.
About BHASHINI Platform:
-
- BHASHINI stands for BHASHa INterface for India. It is a language translation platform powered by Artificial Intelligence.
- It helps people speak and understand different Indian languages, breaking language barriers.
- The goal is to make digital services and the internet easy to use in Indian languages, including voice-based features.
- BHASHINI was launched in July 2022 under the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM).
- It supports translation in 22 official Indian languages.
- The platform helps startups, MSMEs, and developers by giving access to AI and language tools.
- BHASHINI is managed by the Digital India BHASHINI Division, under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
- It is available as a mobile app on both Android and iOS.
- There is also a special section called ‘Bhasadaan’ where people can help by donating language data.
Source: PIB
Topic- 5: The World Blood Donor Day 2025
GS- 3: Science and Technology
The context:
Recently, the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law and Justice organized a Blood Donation Camp at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi as a part of activities under the World Blood Donor Day 2025.
The Key Highlights:
-
- World Blood Donor Day 2025 is a global campaign, which will be observed on 14th June 2025every year to raise awareness about the importance of safe blood donations and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving contributions.
- The event not only celebrates the selfless act of donating blood but also emphasizes the continued need for regular donations to ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients worldwide.
- The initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Societyand India AIDS NGO, was held under the global theme “Give Blood, Give Hope: Together We Save Lives”—underscoring the vital role of voluntary blood donors in saving lives and fostering a culture of care and responsibility.
- Total of 22 officers and employees, including 2 lady officersdonated blood, setting an inspiring example of service beyond their professional duties.
- This initiative reflects the Department’s proactive role in supporting public health and humanitarian causes, reinforcing that law and justice go hand in hand with compassion and civic responsibility.
Source: PIB
Spread the Word