27 June 2025
(Current Affairs Notes - Prelims)

India’s Stand on Terrorism at SCO

• At the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meet, India refused to sign join statement due to the issue of terrorism.

• India insisted the statement mention the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, as crucial to its stance. That reference was omitted, prompting refusal to sign.

• India flagged that the draft mentioned militant activity in Balochistan but skipped Pahalgam. India highlighted certain states of using terrorism as a tool of policy and providing shelter to terrorists.

• India’s refusal underlines its steadfast policy of “no compromise” on terror, especially cross-border incidents.

• The SCO being led by China and Pakistan’s efforts to avoid any mention of terrorism illuminates the rising intra-bloc tensions.

• India is staking its claim to influence the narrative and ensuring terrorism is acknowledged as a threat, not glossed over for geopolitical convenience.

Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL)

• A Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

• Formerly known as Sagarmala Development Company Limited, now renamed as SMFCL.

• SMFCL became India’s first Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the maritime sector.

• It will offer tailored financial products to a diverse range of stakeholders.

AlphaGenome

• A new AI model launched by Google DeepMind.

• It is aimed to predict how individual mutations in human DNA affect their functions and impact our health.

• It is built upon Google DeepMind's earlier genomics model, Enformer, and complements to AlphaMissense.

Operation Deep Manifest

• By Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

• To target the illegal import of Pakistani-origin goods routed through third countries

Mansarovar Yatra

• After a six-year gap, Indian pilgrims completed the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

• Manasarovar lake is located in Tibet, at the Southern foot of Mount Kailash.

• The yatra takes place via two routes: Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).

Department of Official Language

• Department of Official Language completed 50 years of its establishment in the year 2025.

• It was established in 1975 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• The objective is to implement the constitutional provisions related to the use and promotion of Hindi as the official language of the Union as laid down in Articles 343 to 351 of the Constitution.

• The Department formulates language policies, monitors their implementation, and provides training, tools, and guidelines for use of Hindi across ministries and public sector undertakings.

UN80 Initiative

• Launched by the United Nations to commemorate the signing of the UN Charter 80 years ago in 1945.

• The Initiative is aimed at streamlining operations and reaffirming the UN's relevance for a rapidly changing world.