1 Neeraj Chopra won gold medal in Ostrava Golden Spike competition
Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra has won the gold medal in the Ostrava Golden Spike competition . Neeraj threw the javelin 85.29 meters away in his best attempt. South Africa’s Dou Smit finished second with a throw of 84.12 meters . Grenada’s Anderson Peters finished third with a throw of 83.63 meters . This is Neeraj’s second consecutive title. Earlier, he had won the Paris Diamond League last week with a brilliant performance. In that competition, Neeraj threw the javelin more than 90 meters for the first time in his career. He won this title with a throw of 90.23 meters. Now Neeraj Chopra will play in India’s first global javelin competition. This competition will be held at Shri Kanteerav Stadium in Bengaluru from July 5.
2 Historical start of tribal skill centers in 30 aspiring tribal districts from Sonbhadra: New initiative under Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan
’30 Tribal Skill Centers ‘ were inaugurated in a grand manner in the aspirational district of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh . Under the ‘ Dharti Aaba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) ‘, Tribal Skill Centers have been established through Jan Shikshan Sansthans in 30 aspiring tribal districts, which are being implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship . These aspiring districts are West Champaran in Bihar, Bastar, Surajpur, Kondagaon and Sukma in Chhattisgarh, Valsad and Surat in Gujarat, Ranchi, Simdega and Dumka in Jharkhand, Raichur in Karnataka, Dhar, Mandla, Dindori and Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Gadchiroli, Nandurbar-I, and Nashik in Maharashtra, Senapati in Manipur, East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Sambalpur in Odisha, Adilabad in Telangana, Dadra Nagar Haveli (Union Territory), Dhalai in Tripura, Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, and Purulia in West Bengal. Under this initiative, 1 lakh tribal youth will be provided NSQF-compliant training from 2024 to 2029. The training programmes are designed according to local needs, traditional knowledge and market demand, thereby linking the training directly to livelihoods. ‘Dharti Aba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA)’ is an ambitious initiative of the Government of India, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 2 October 2024. The objective of this five-year campaign is to connect more than 5 crore tribal citizens living in 63,843 tribal-dominated villages in 30 states and union territories of the country with overall socio – economic development . Under the scheme, 25 sectoral interventions are being done in collaboration with 17 ministries, which will empower key sectors such as health, education, livelihood, infrastructure and skill development.
3 The Defence Minister authorised the Chief of Defence Staff and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs to issue joint directives and joint orders to the three services to ensure greater synergy among the armed forces
In a major step towards modernisation and transformation of the functioning of the Armed Forces, Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has authorised the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA) for the purpose of issuing joint directives and joint orders for the three services . This is a change from the old system wherein directives/orders pertaining to two or more services were issued separately by each service . The first joint order on ‘Approval, Publication and Serialisation of Joint Directives and Joint Orders’ has been issued on 24 June 2025. It emphasises the need to streamline processes, eliminate redundancies and enhance inter-service cooperation. This initiative lays the foundation for improved transparency, coordination and administrative efficiency across the three services. It also marks the beginning of a new era of solidarity and integration, further strengthening the cohesion of the Armed Forces in service to the nation.
4 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the book titled Wings to Our Hopes-Volume 2 in New Delhi
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a book titled Wings to Our Hopes-Volume 2 in New Delhi . The book contains speeches delivered by President Draupadi Murmu between the period August 2023 to July 2024. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Minister of State Dr L Murugan also attended the function. Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the book will inspire people to work towards achieving the goals of a developed India. He said the book covers topics ranging from civilisation to culture, education to health. Highlighting the women-led development approach of this government, the minister said India took historic action under Operation Sindoor, which instilled fear in terrorists.
5 Jahnavi Dangeti became the first Indian to complete NASA’s space program
23-year-old Jahnavi Dangeti , a resident of Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh , is going to travel to space in the year 2029. She has been selected for America ‘s Titans Space Mission . Under this mission, she will orbit the Earth twice and stay in zero gravity for about 3 hours. The flight will start from America in the year 2029 and will go to the Orbital Port Space Station. Under the mission, the astronauts will get to see sunrise twice and sunset twice. Jahnavi has previously been a part of NASA’s International Air and Space Program. Jahnavi’s ability can be gauged from the fact that she has received the ‘People’s Choice Award’ in NASA’s Space Apps Challenge and the Young Achievers Award at ISRO.
6 Indian Army’s Western Command signs MoU with IIT Ropar and IIT Kanpur
Following the principle of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Western Command of the Indian Army has signed MoUs with IIT Ropar and IIT Kanpur to promote joint research, innovation and Indianness in the national defense sector . This agreement will promote cooperation between the Western Command of the Army and these technological institutions in various fields including engineering, physics, biomedical sciences and cyber security . In this way, synergy between these technological institutions and the army will enable the nation to deal with security challenges.
7 It has been decided to increase the limit of automatic settlement amount for advance claims from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh
The Employees Provident Fund Organization – EPFO has said that it has decided to increase the limit of automatic settlement amount for advance claims from one lakh to five lakh rupees . This amount will be provided to the beneficiaries within 72 hours . Giving this information on a social media post, Union Labor and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that this step is in the interest of the people. He said that in the last financial year, two crore 32 lakh automatic claims were settled, whereas in 2023-24 only 89 lakh claims were settled.
8 ‘Marriage halls’ will be built in all the village panchayats of Bihar, approval in the cabinet meeting
In all the village panchayats of Bihar , ‘ marriage halls ‘ will be built for the marriage ceremony of the daughters of poor families . In the meeting of Bihar Cabinet held on Tuesday, ‘ Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Mandap Yojana ‘ was approved. For this scheme, marriage halls will be constructed in a phased manner in 8,053 village panchayats with an amount of more than 40 billion 26 crores. These marriage halls will be operated by Jeevika Didi . Economically weak families will greatly benefit from the construction of marriage halls at the Panchayat level.
9 Minister of State for Defence Shri Sanjay Seth and his Kenyan counterpart jointly unveil the India-Africa Memorial Pillar
Minister of State for Defence Shri Sanjay Seth and Ms Rosalinda Soipan Tuya , EGH , Defence Cabinet Secretary (Minister of Defence), Kenya jointly unveiled the India-Africa Memorial Pillar at Mile 27, Taita Taveta County , Kenya on 23 June 2025. The ceremony paid tributes to the valour and supreme sacrifice of the unsung Indian and African soldiers who laid down their lives in the East African region during World War I. The initiative was conceptualised by the Indian High Commission in Kenya and implemented with financial support provided courtesy of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. The project is implemented in close coordination with the Kenyan Defence Forces and the authorities of Taita Taveta County.
10 Bharti Space will invest 31.4 million euros in Eutelsat
Bharti Space Ltd , the space arm of Bharti Enterprises , has decided to invest ₹313 crore (approximately €31.4 million) in French satellite operator Eutelsat , as part of Eutelsat’s €1.35 billion capital raising plan. The funds will be used to expand satellite constellations and repay debt, helping establish Eutelsat as a major player in the global space-based communications sector. With this investment, France becomes the largest shareholder in Eutelsat, a significant step towards strengthening Europe’s autonomous satellite infrastructure.
11 Sivasubramanian Raman took over as Chairman of PFRDA
Sivasubramanian Raman formally assumed charge as the Chairman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on 20 June 2025. He was appointed by the Government of India through a notification dated 8 April 2025. He is replacing Deepak Mohanty and his tenure will be for 5 years or till the age of 65 years (whichever is earlier). The appointment comes at a time when India is striving to expand pension coverage deeply into both formal and informal sectors through programmes such as the National Pension System (NPS) and Vatsalya Yojana.
12 United Nations Public Service Day 2025
Every year on 23 June , United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated across the world to honour the contributions made by public servants and the public sector. The day highlights the role of public service in global development, its role in improving the quality of life of citizens and encourages youth to participate in governance. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 57/277 passed on 20 December 2002. The day was first officially celebrated in 2003, and the first UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) were also awarded in the same year.
13 International Olympic Day 2025
International Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June to honour the beginning of the modern Olympic Games as well as to remind us how sport connects people across borders. The day is a platform to promote the Olympic values – excellence, friendship and respect – and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to lead active and healthy lifestyles. International Olympic Day began in 1948. It commemorates the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in Paris on 23 June 1894 .
14 Carlos Alcaraz wins second Queen’s Club title
World number two Carlos Alcaraz won his second Queen’s Club Championships title by defeating Czech Republic ‘s Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 in a hard- fought final on 23 June 2025. The win is a sign of Alcaraz’s strong form just a week before Wimbledon. The 22-year-old Spanish star will now aim to win his third consecutive Wimbledon title at the third Grand Slam of the year.