National Daily Current Affairs: 25/06/2026

National Schemes & Policies in News 🏛️

The Government of India recently released the 17th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, reinforcing its commitment to farmer welfare. This central sector scheme provides income support to all landholding farmers' families across the country to supplement their financial needs for procuring various inputs related to agriculture and allied activities.

Exam-Oriented Current Affairs & Key Facts 📝

• Economy & Finance: The 53rd GST Council meeting, chaired by the Union Finance Minister, recommended a uniform GST rate of 12% on all milk cans and solar cookers. It also proposed waiving interest and penalties for demand notices issued under Section 73 for the fiscal years 2017-18 to 2019-20.
• Infrastructure: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University at Rajgir, Bihar. The university is an international collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) participating countries.
• Defence: DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of 'ABHYAS' – a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha. It is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot.
• Agriculture: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Kharif crops for Marketing Season 2024-25, ensuring at least 50% margin over cost of production.
• Polity: The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, came into effect to curb paper leaks and malpractices in recruitment exams conducted by central agencies.

One-Liner Revision Notes ⚡

• PM-KISAN 17th instalment covers over 9.26 crore farmers with a disbursement of ₹20,000 crore.
• GST Council recommends biometric-based Aadhaar authentication for registration on a pan-India basis.
• Nalanda University's new campus is designed as a 'Net Zero' Green Campus.
• ABHYAS drone is powered by a small gas turbine engine and features MEMS-based navigation.
• The MSP for Paddy (Common) has been hiked by ₹117 to ₹2,300 per quintal for 2024-25.
• Atul Kumar Chaudhary has been appointed as the Secretary of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).
• India's first international solar festival to be hosted in New Delhi in September 2026.
• June 21 was observed globally as the 10th International Day of Yoga with the theme 'Yoga for Self and Society'.

MCQs from Current Affairs ❓

Q1: The 53rd GST Council meeting was held in which city?

• A) Mumbai
• B) New Delhi
• C) Bengaluru
• D) Chennai

Q2: Who is the Chancellor of the newly inaugurated Nalanda University?

• A) Amartya Sen
• B) Arvind Panagariya
• C) Vijay P. Bhatkar
• D) Abhay Kumar Singh

Q3: 'ABHYAS', recently tested by DRDO, is primarily used for:

• A) Deep sea exploration
• B) Border surveillance
• C) Target for missile systems
• D) Weather forecasting

Q4: Under the PM-KISAN scheme, how much financial assistance is provided to farmers annually?

• A) ₹4,000
• B) ₹5,000
• C) ₹6,000
• D) ₹8,000

Q5: What is the theme for the 10th International Day of Yoga (2024)?

• A) Yoga for Peace
• B) Yoga for Wellness
• C) Yoga for Self and Society
• D) Yoga for Humanity