UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June 2025 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2 : (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June (2025)
• Bar Council of India Decision to Allow Foreign Lawyers
Bar Council of India Decision to Allow Foreign Lawyers
GS Paper 3:
• EnviStats India 2025
EnviStats India 2025
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Pratima Barwa – The Unsung Torchbearer of Tribal Hockey
Pratima Barwa – The Unsung Torchbearer of Tribal Hockey
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal
Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal
• Chenab Railway Bridge
Chenab Railway Bridge
• Waste Picker Enumeration App
Waste Picker Enumeration App
• World Environment Day 2025
World Environment Day 2025
• International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)
International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)
• SEBI’s Operational Framework for ESG Debt Securities
SEBI’s Operational Framework for ESG Debt Securities
Mapping:
• Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi
Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June 2025
#### GS Paper 2:
Bar Council of India Decision to Allow Foreign Lawyers
Syllabus: Polity
Source: LL
Context: CJI B.R. Gavai praised the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) amended rules allowing foreign lawyers and firms to advise on international law and arbitration.
About Bar Council of India Decision to Allow Foreign Lawyers:
• The Bar Council of India (BCI) amended its 2022 rules to allow foreign law firms and lawyers to practice foreign law, international law, and participate in arbitration in India.
• This entry is limited to non-litigious matters only, i.e., they cannot appear before Indian courts, tribunals, or practice Indian law.
Need for This Decision:
• Enhancing Arbitration Quality: India needs global expertise to elevate arbitration standards and meet growing international business demands.
E.g., India ranked 5th globally in arbitration case volume – ICC Report 2024.
• Global Integration of Legal Services: Indian lawyers benefit from reciprocal access to foreign legal markets and broaden their cross-border practice.
• Institutional Support Expansion: With growing centres like MCIA (Mumbai), DIAC (Delhi), IIAC (New Delhi), India seeks foreign participation to boost credibility and caseloads.
• Bridging Talent Gaps in Niche Areas: Specialized roles like climate litigation, tech-law, and commercial arbitration require international collaboration for knowledge transfer.
Challenges to Implementation:
• Protectionism & Legal Monopoly Fears: Concerns exist among Indian lawyers over loss of work or market share in elite consultancy and arbitration roles.
• Regulatory Oversight & Reciprocity Issues: Enforcing reciprocal entry for Indian firms abroad may face hurdles, especially in countries with stringent entry norms.
• Risk of Unequal Competition: Foreign firms may have larger capital, global clientele, and better resources, creating imbalance with domestic law firms.
• Monitoring Compliance: Ensuring that foreign firms strictly operate within non-litigious limits requires strong regulatory mechanisms from BCI.
Significance of Allowing Foreign Lawyers in India:
• Boosts India’s Arbitration Ecosystem: CJI Gavai noted it aligns with India’s ambition to be a global arbitration hub, supporting dispute resolution in sectors like infrastructure and trade.
• Strengthens Indo-UK Legal Ties: Announced at the Indo-UK Arbitration Conference, the step enhances bilateral legal cooperation.
• Enables Legal Sector Modernization: Access to global best practices, legal tech, and international advisory standards promotes professional excellence.
• Preserves Indian Legal Sovereignty: The framework clearly prohibits foreign lawyers from practicing Indian law, maintaining the sanctity of the Advocates Act, 1961.
• Opens Global Opportunities for Indian Lawyers: Indian advocates can now register to practice foreign law abroad under reciprocity provisions without surrendering Indian practice rights.
Conclusion:
The controlled entry of foreign lawyers marks a progressive shift in India’s legal framework, balancing globalization with domestic protection. With robust regulatory oversight, this can uplift India’s arbitration and consultancy sectors. Its success will depend on mutual trust, clarity of rules, and regulatory vigilance.
• What are the major changes brought in the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1990 through the recent Ordinance promulgated by the President? How far will it improve India’s dispute resolution mechanism? Discuss. (2015)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June 2025 GS Paper 3:
EnviStats India 2025
Syllabus: Environment
Source: TOI
Context: The 8th edition of EnviStats India 2025 was released by MoSPI on 5 June 2025, offering a structured statistical profile of India’s environment.
Summary of “EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics”:
• Thermal and Renewable Energy Growth: Thermal power generation rose from 7.92 lakh GWh (2013–14) to 13.26 lakh GWh (2023–24), while renewable energy jumped from 65,520 GWh to 2.25 lakh GWh in the same period.
• Inland and Marine Fish Production: Inland fish output surged from 61.36 lakh tonnes to 139.07 lakh tonnes, while marine fish production rose to 44.95 lakh tonnes (2013–2024).
• Temperature Trends: Annual mean temperature increased from 25.05°C (2001) to 25.74°C (2024), with both minimum and maximum temperatures showing a similar upward trend.
• Rainfall Patterns: Year-to-year rainfall variability continues without a definite long-term rising or falling trend, underscoring erratic monsoonal behaviour.
• Faunal Diversity: India hosts 1,04,561 faunal species, contributing significantly to global biodiversity, including 22,404 soil species, 9,436 freshwater species, and 5,023 mangrove species.
• Environmental Sector Expenditure: The Environment Sustainability Sector received the highest allocation at ₹2,433 crore (2021–22), while Agroforestry received the least.
• New Data Indicators Added: Indicators like Ramsar sites, sanitation, transport, and electricity access were integrated for broader environmental insight.
• FDES-Based Structure: The report follows the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013), ensuring global comparability and structured categorization.
Analysis of the Report:
• Positives: Data-Driven Policymaking: The structured dataset enhances evidence-based decision-making in climate action and biodiversity protection. Expanded Indicator Scope: Inclusion of socio-environmental indicators (e.g., sanitation, Ramsar sites) reflects a holistic approach to sustainability. Biodiversity Documentation: India’s significant soil and aquatic biodiversity is well-highlighted, reinforcing its global environmental relevance. Energy Transition Monitoring: Clear trends in the growth of renewables support climate resilience planning and international climate commitments (e.g., Paris Agreement).
• Data-Driven Policymaking: The structured dataset enhances evidence-based decision-making in climate action and biodiversity protection.
• Expanded Indicator Scope: Inclusion of socio-environmental indicators (e.g., sanitation, Ramsar sites) reflects a holistic approach to sustainability.
• Biodiversity Documentation: India’s significant soil and aquatic biodiversity is well-highlighted, reinforcing its global environmental relevance.
• Energy Transition Monitoring: Clear trends in the growth of renewables support climate resilience planning and international climate commitments (e.g., Paris Agreement).
• Negatives: Rainfall Variability Lacks Regional Insights: Absence of state-wise or zonal rainfall trends hinders localized disaster preparedness and water management strategies. No Impact Assessment: The report offers statistics but lacks cause-effect insights or policy impact evaluation for sectors like pollution or land use. Data Lag and Timeliness: Several datasets are retrospective, reducing their utility for real-time policymaking in dynamic sectors like air quality or urban sprawl. Inadequate Climate Vulnerability Mapping: Despite rising temperatures, vulnerability analysis or adaptation readiness is not covered in depth.
• Rainfall Variability Lacks Regional Insights: Absence of state-wise or zonal rainfall trends hinders localized disaster preparedness and water management strategies.
• No Impact Assessment: The report offers statistics but lacks cause-effect insights or policy impact evaluation for sectors like pollution or land use.
• Data Lag and Timeliness: Several datasets are retrospective, reducing their utility for real-time policymaking in dynamic sectors like air quality or urban sprawl.
• Inadequate Climate Vulnerability Mapping: Despite rising temperatures, vulnerability analysis or adaptation readiness is not covered in depth.
Way Forward:
• Integrate Satellite and Real-Time Data: Use ISRO’s geospatial capabilities and IoT systems for real-time environmental monitoring.
• Disaggregate Data Regionally: Ensure state and district-level indicators to support decentralized planning and localised environmental governance.
• Link Data with SDG Progress: Map indicators directly to India’s SDG targets (Goal 6, 7, 13, 14, 15) to better evaluate sustainability pathways.
• Enhance Public Accessibility & Visualisation: Convert data into interactive dashboards and infographics to engage civil society and educational institutions.
Conclusion:
EnviStats India 2025 strengthens India’s environmental data landscape by aligning with global standards and tracking emerging trends. However, integrating granular insights and real-time data is essential to bridge the policy-practice gap. A robust, inclusive, and adaptive statistics ecosystem is vital for India’s sustainable future.
• How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006? (2020)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Pratima Barwa – The Unsung Torchbearer of Tribal Hockey
Anecdote: In the remote tribal heartland of Simdega, Jharkhand, where sports infrastructure was nearly absent, Pratima Barwa became a beacon of hope for countless children. Her dreams of playing for India were cut short by a knee injury, but she transformed that personal loss into a mission for others. With a battered bicycle and unmatched resolve, she travelled daily to distant schools and villages, scouting hidden talent. Her grassroots coaching, though rudimentary, was driven by deep empathy and an unshakable belief in her students. She convinced hesitant families to let their daughters play, breaking cultural and economic barriers in the process. Salima Tete, now India’s women’s hockey captain, stands as a living tribute to Barwa’s efforts. Her academy may have lacked facilities, but it became a crucible of dignity, identity, and self-worth for tribal girls. Pratima Barwa’s true legacy lives in every Indian jersey worn by the daughters of the soil she nurtured.
Relevance to UPSC Exam:
• GS Paper 4 – Ethics (Aptitude & Attitude): Pratima’s life exemplifies compassion, perseverance, and altruistic service — essential values in public life.
• GS Paper 2 – Governance & Social Justice: Reflects the need to support grassroots sports ecosystems, tribal empowerment, and inclusion in policymaking.
• Essay Paper – Inspirational Themes: Ideal anecdote for topics like “The power of one to change many” or “Women as agents of social transformation.”
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal
Source: PIB
Context: India launched the ‘Ayush Nivesh Saarthi’ portal to attract investment in the Ayush sector. It aims to promote India as a global destination for traditional medicine and wellness entrepreneurship.
About Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal:
• What is it? A dedicated digital platform for investors to explore and invest in India’s Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) sector.
• A dedicated digital platform for investors to explore and invest in India’s Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) sector.
• Ministry Involved:
• Ministry of Ayush (Lead Ministry) Developed in partnership with Invest India
• Ministry of Ayush (Lead Ministry)
• Developed in partnership with Invest India
• Objective:
• To ease investment in Ayush-based ventures. To promote FDI and private participation in traditional medicine. To integrate policy, incentives, and market access in one portal.
• To ease investment in Ayush-based ventures.
• To promote FDI and private participation in traditional medicine.
• To integrate policy, incentives, and market access in one portal.
• Key Features:
• Investor-Centric Design: Simplified navigation and support. Unified Interface: Combines policies, incentives, and investment-ready projects. Real-time Facilitation: Dynamic dashboard for guidance and approvals. Global Outreach: Targets domestic and international stakeholders. Ease of Doing Business: Aligned with 100% FDI via automatic route in the Ayush sector.
• Investor-Centric Design: Simplified navigation and support.
• Unified Interface: Combines policies, incentives, and investment-ready projects.
• Real-time Facilitation: Dynamic dashboard for guidance and approvals.
• Global Outreach: Targets domestic and international stakeholders.
• Ease of Doing Business: Aligned with 100% FDI via automatic route in the Ayush sector.
• Significance:
• Promotes Traditional Medicine Economy: Boosts the Ayush industry which grew 17% annually (2014–2020). Medical Value Travel (MVT): Strengthens India’s USD 13 billion MVT sector. Supports Startups & MSMEs: Creates pathways for entrepreneurs in natural health products. Global Health Diplomacy: Projects India as a trusted wellness leader. Sustainable Health Ecosystem: Encourages preventive and wellness-based healthcare.
• Promotes Traditional Medicine Economy: Boosts the Ayush industry which grew 17% annually (2014–2020).
• Medical Value Travel (MVT): Strengthens India’s USD 13 billion MVT sector.
• Supports Startups & MSMEs: Creates pathways for entrepreneurs in natural health products.
• Global Health Diplomacy: Projects India as a trusted wellness leader.
• Sustainable Health Ecosystem: Encourages preventive and wellness-based healthcare.
Chenab Railway Bridge
Source: FE
Context: Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the Chenab Railway Bridge marking the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.
• It is now officially the tallest railway bridge in the world, symbolizing engineering excellence and strategic connectivity.
About Chenab Railway Bridge:
• What is it?
• A steel-arch railway bridge built over the Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir. Recognized as the tallest railway bridge globally with a height of 359 meters—35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower.
• A steel-arch railway bridge built over the Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Recognized as the tallest railway bridge globally with a height of 359 meters—35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower.
• Location:
• Situated between Bakkal and Kauri villages in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir. Forms a critical part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. Connects Katra to Sangaldan, enabling rail access to Srinagar.
• Situated between Bakkal and Kauri villages in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir.
• Forms a critical part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
• Connects Katra to Sangaldan, enabling rail access to Srinagar.
• Who Built It?
• Executed by Konkan Railway Corporation. Constructed by a JV of Afcons Infrastructure, Ultra Construction (South Korea), and VSL India.
• Executed by Konkan Railway Corporation.
• Constructed by a JV of Afcons Infrastructure, Ultra Construction (South Korea), and VSL India.
• Key Features of the Bridge:
• Total Length: 1,315 meters (530 m approach + 785 m main arch). Wind Resistance: Up to 266 km/h and earthquake-resistant (up to magnitude 8). Temperature Tolerance: Up to –20°C. Blast-Proof: Designed to resist explosions equivalent to 40 tonnes of TNT. Lifespan: 120 years and trains can run up to 100 km/h.
• Total Length: 1,315 meters (530 m approach + 785 m main arch).
• Wind Resistance: Up to 266 km/h and earthquake-resistant (up to magnitude 8).
• Temperature Tolerance: Up to –20°C.
• Blast-Proof: Designed to resist explosions equivalent to 40 tonnes of TNT.
• Lifespan: 120 years and trains can run up to 100 km/h.
• Significance:
• Strategic Importance: Strengthens connectivity to Kashmir, a border-sensitive region. Engineering Feat: One of the most complex terrains and built in a high seismic zone (Zone V) with fractured geology. Boosts National Integration: Provides uninterrupted rail access to the Valley. Civil Engineering Landmark: Symbolizes India’s advancement in infrastructure and resilience. Tourism & Economic Growth: Promotes regional development and employment.
• Strategic Importance: Strengthens connectivity to Kashmir, a border-sensitive region.
• Engineering Feat: One of the most complex terrains and built in a high seismic zone (Zone V) with fractured geology.
• Boosts National Integration: Provides uninterrupted rail access to the Valley.
• Civil Engineering Landmark: Symbolizes India’s advancement in infrastructure and resilience.
• Tourism & Economic Growth: Promotes regional development and employment.
Waste Picker Enumeration App
Source: PIB
Context: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched a Nationwide Waste Picker Enumeration App under the NAMASTE scheme to formalize, empower, and provide social security to waste pickers.
About the Waste Picker Enumeration App:
• What is it? A digital platform to enumerate, identify, and support waste pickers through social security and livelihood-based interventions under the NAMASTE Scheme.
• A digital platform to enumerate, identify, and support waste pickers through social security and livelihood-based interventions under the NAMASTE Scheme.
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) In collaboration with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Implemented via National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
• In collaboration with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• Implemented via National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
• Objective: To recognize waste pickers as essential workers in India’s solid waste management system To provide them with identity, protection, and integration into formal urban systems
• To recognize waste pickers as essential workers in India’s solid waste management system
• To provide them with identity, protection, and integration into formal urban systems
• Key Features:
• Large-Scale Profiling: Targets enumeration of 2.5 lakh waste pickers and issue’s occupational identity cards for formal recognition.
• Health and Safety Coverage: Provides health insurance under Ayushman Bharat and distributes personal protective equipment and seasonal safety kits.
• Skill and Livelihood Support: Offers skill development training and capital subsidy for waste collection vehicles to promote sustainable livelihoods.
• Strengthening Waste Management Systems: Supports formation of waste picker collectives to manage 750 dry waste collection centres across urban areas.
• Knowledge-Based Empowerment: Releases key resources like the Mainstreaming Waste Picker Collectives Guide and Charting Change socio-economic insights report.
About NAMASTE Scheme:
• What is it? National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is a Central Sector Scheme launched to formalize and rehabilitate sanitation workers engaged in hazardous cleaning and solid waste management.
• National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is a Central Sector Scheme launched to formalize and rehabilitate sanitation workers engaged in hazardous cleaning and solid waste management.
• Launched In: July 2023
• Ministries Involved: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Nodal Ministry) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) (Convergence Partner) Implementing agency: National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Nodal Ministry)
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) (Convergence Partner)
• Implementing agency: National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation
• Aim: To ensure dignity, safety, and livelihood for sewer workers, septic tank cleaners, and now, waste pickers To eliminate manual scavenging and promote mechanized, skilled sanitation services
• To ensure dignity, safety, and livelihood for sewer workers, septic tank cleaners, and now, waste pickers
• To eliminate manual scavenging and promote mechanized, skilled sanitation services
World Environment Day 2025
Source: UNEP
Context: On 5 June 2025, World Environment Day was celebrated globally with Jeju, South Korea hosting the official event.
About World Environment Day 2025:
• What is it? World Environment Day is the United Nations’ principal platform for global environmental outreach, celebrated annually on June 5 to raise awareness and promote action for environmental protection.
• World Environment Day is the United Nations’ principal platform for global environmental outreach, celebrated annually on June 5 to raise awareness and promote action for environmental protection.
• Host Country: The official celebrations were held in Jeju Province, Republic of Korea.
• Theme for 2025: Beat Plastic Pollution.
• Objective:
• To highlight the urgency of tackling plastic waste, which affects oceans, biodiversity, and human health. To promote global cooperation toward a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, scheduled for negotiations in August 2025.
• To highlight the urgency of tackling plastic waste, which affects oceans, biodiversity, and human health.
• To promote global cooperation toward a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, scheduled for negotiations in August 2025.
• Historical Background: Initiated in 1973 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Significant Global Commitments & Initiatives:
• UNEP’s Global Plastics Hub: A new platform offering data, collaboration, and resources on marine litter and plastic pollution. Tide Turners Summit in India: Showcased youth-led plastic reduction efforts engaging over 980,000 young leaders across 60+ countries. Mexico’s Beach Cleanup Plan (2025–2030): Aims to eliminate plastic waste from all national coasts within five years. Global Ecosystem Restoration Murals: SAM and UNEP’s 245-foot mural in Chicago raised awareness on plastic pollution and nature restoration.
• UNEP’s Global Plastics Hub: A new platform offering data, collaboration, and resources on marine litter and plastic pollution.
• Tide Turners Summit in India: Showcased youth-led plastic reduction efforts engaging over 980,000 young leaders across 60+ countries.
• Mexico’s Beach Cleanup Plan (2025–2030): Aims to eliminate plastic waste from all national coasts within five years.
• Global Ecosystem Restoration Murals: SAM and UNEP’s 245-foot mural in Chicago raised awareness on plastic pollution and nature restoration.
International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)
Source: TH
Context: India won the Presidency of International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for 2025–2028 in elections held in Brussels, polling 61.7% of the votes.
• This is the first time India has held the presidency and the first-ever ballot-based election in IIAS’s 100-year history.
About the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS):
• What it is? The International Institute of Administrative Sciences is a global, non-governmental scientific organization dedicated to advancing public administration research and reform through global collaboration.
• The International Institute of Administrative Sciences is a global, non-governmental scientific organization dedicated to advancing public administration research and reform through global collaboration.
• Established in: Founded in 1930, with nearly a century of contributions to administrative theory and comparative governance.
• Founded in 1930, with nearly a century of contributions to administrative theory and comparative governance.
• Headquarters: Located in Brussels, Belgium
• Objectives:
• Promote comparative studies in public administration. Facilitate intercultural dialogue and research collaboration. Advance reform models aligned with contemporary governance challenges. Engage actively with global public administration discourse.
• Promote comparative studies in public administration.
• Facilitate intercultural dialogue and research collaboration.
• Advance reform models aligned with contemporary governance challenges.
• Engage actively with global public administration discourse.
• Key Functions:
• Organizes three international conferences annually across member nations. Publishes the International Review of Administrative Sciences in English, French, and Mandarin. Acts as a forum for policy practitioners and scholars from over 90 countries. Collaborates with the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) and UN CEPA.
• Organizes three international conferences annually across member nations.
• Publishes the International Review of Administrative Sciences in English, French, and Mandarin.
• Acts as a forum for policy practitioners and scholars from over 90 countries.
• Collaborates with the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) and UN CEPA.
SEBI’s Operational Framework for ESG Debt Securities
Source: ET
Context: SEBI has notified a detailed operational framework for issuing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) debt securities, including social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bonds.
About ESG Debt Securities:
• What are ESG Debt Securities? ESG debt securities are financial instruments used to raise funds exclusively for projects with environmental, social, or governance benefits. These include: Social Bonds (for social impact projects) Sustainability Bonds (for combined environmental and social goals) Sustainability-Linked Bonds (with targets linked to ESG performance) Key Features of ESG Debt Securities: Funds must be utilized for eligible sustainable or social projects. Bonds must be labelled accurately based on primary project objective. Must comply with recognized international ESG standards. Require third-party verification or certification. Applicable to both public issues and private placements.
• ESG debt securities are financial instruments used to raise funds exclusively for projects with environmental, social, or governance benefits. These include: Social Bonds (for social impact projects) Sustainability Bonds (for combined environmental and social goals) Sustainability-Linked Bonds (with targets linked to ESG performance)
• Social Bonds (for social impact projects)
• Sustainability Bonds (for combined environmental and social goals)
• Sustainability-Linked Bonds (with targets linked to ESG performance)
• Key Features of ESG Debt Securities: Funds must be utilized for eligible sustainable or social projects. Bonds must be labelled accurately based on primary project objective. Must comply with recognized international ESG standards. Require third-party verification or certification. Applicable to both public issues and private placements.
• Funds must be utilized for eligible sustainable or social projects.
• Bonds must be labelled accurately based on primary project objective.
• Must comply with recognized international ESG standards.
• Require third-party verification or certification.
• Applicable to both public issues and private placements.
About SEBI’s Operational Framework for ESG Debt Securities:
• Classification Criteria: Issuers must classify bonds as green, social, or sustainability based on the primary objective of the underlying projects, ensuring clear demarcation of impact.
• Disclosure Requirements: Initial disclosures in the offer document must include project eligibility, selection process, and indicative fund distribution between financing and refinancing. Continuous disclosures to be made annually, detailing impact metrics and fund utilization.
• Initial disclosures in the offer document must include project eligibility, selection process, and indicative fund distribution between financing and refinancing.
• Continuous disclosures to be made annually, detailing impact metrics and fund utilization.
• Independent Review Mechanism: Issuers must appoint independent third-party reviewers or certifiers to validate ESG alignment, increasing investor trust and transparency.
• Monitoring and Impact Tracking: Issuers are responsible for continuous impact assessment to ensure that the funded operations effectively reduce environmental or social harm.
• Applicability and Implementation: The framework applies to all issuances of ESG debt securities from June 5, 2025, and aligns with global ESG benchmarks to attract responsible capital.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 6 June 2025 Mapping:
Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi
Source: TH
Context: The Tamil Nadu officially notified a Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi to safeguard critical wetland habitats along the Central Asian Flyway.
• The sanctuary covers over 500 hectares and forms part of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.
About Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi:
• What it is? A newly notified wildlife sanctuary aimed at protecting migratory wetland birds, especially greater flamingos, in their natural stopover habitat.
• A newly notified wildlife sanctuary aimed at protecting migratory wetland birds, especially greater flamingos, in their natural stopover habitat.
• Location: Situated in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. Spans 7 hectares of revenue and forest land within Rameshwaram taluk.
• Situated in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu.
• Spans 7 hectares of revenue and forest land within Rameshwaram taluk.
• Key Ecological Features: Located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, one of India’s richest marine ecosystems. Home to 128 bird species including flamingos, herons, sandpipers, and egrets. Hosts mangroves (Avicennia and Rhizophora), mudflats, marshes, and sand dunes. Recorded over 10,700 wetland birds in the 2023–24 bird survey. Supports sea turtle nesting and other marine biodiversity.
• Located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, one of India’s richest marine ecosystems.
• Home to 128 bird species including flamingos, herons, sandpipers, and egrets.
• Hosts mangroves (Avicennia and Rhizophora), mudflats, marshes, and sand dunes.
• Recorded over 10,700 wetland birds in the 2023–24 bird survey.
• Supports sea turtle nesting and other marine biodiversity.
• Significance: Serves as a vital node on the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds. Enhances ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihood generation. Provides natural protection against coastal erosion and climate impacts.
• Serves as a vital node on the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.
• Enhances ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihood generation.
• Provides natural protection against coastal erosion and climate impacts.
About the Greater Flamingo:
• Scientific Name: Phoenicopterus roseus
• Physical Features: Height: 90 to 150 cm and tall, pink wading birds with long necks and legs. Distinctive downturned bills used for filter feeding in shallow water. Coloration comes from carotenoids in their diet.
• Height: 90 to 150 cm and tall, pink wading birds with long necks and legs.
• Distinctive downturned bills used for filter feeding in shallow water.
• Coloration comes from carotenoids in their diet.
• Biological Traits: Builds cone-shaped mud nests in lagoons. Lays 1–2 eggs and both parents participate in incubation. Chicks are downy white and are fed by regurgitation.
• Builds cone-shaped mud nests in lagoons.
• Lays 1–2 eggs and both parents participate in incubation.
• Chicks are downy white and are fed by regurgitation.
• Social Behaviour: Highly gregarious, forming large colonies during breeding. Fly in coordinated V-shaped flocks. Known to stand on one leg—possibly to conserve body heat or energy.
• Highly gregarious, forming large colonies during breeding.
• Fly in coordinated V-shaped flocks.
• Known to stand on one leg—possibly to conserve body heat or energy.
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