Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 28 June 2025, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.

Daily Current Affairs – 28 June 2025

NATO Summit 2025

The NATO Summit of 2025 brought dramatic change in defence policies and international relations. This shift of agreed upon NATO members, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, was a controversial new target of 5% of Gross Domestic Product for defence spending which will have significant effects on the NATO military alliance’s policies and approach to global security.

5% defence spending target

The NATO allies reached consensus on increasing defence spending to a target of 5% of GDP, which includes a fast track to reach 3.5% for core defence spending and 1.5% on spending related to defence. The latter includes expenditures such as infrastructure and innovations that related to ensure national security. Each member country will need to submit annual plans for complying with the target, with reviews of progress aligned with the 2029 US presidential elections.

Challenges facing member nations

The majority of NATO countries cannot rise to the new spending target. The majority don’t meet a 2% spending target, in 2024, only Poland, Estonia and Latvia spent 3% or greater. Spain spent only 1.24% of GDP on defence and were subject to tariffs from the US for not complying with spending targets.

Article 5 calls for collective defence

Article 5 of NATO’s treaty is the still main arm of NATO’s collective security. An attack on one member is an attack on all members. Article 5 encouraged countries to join NATO due to realisation wars are fought by coalitions, and current events demonstrate Article 5 matters. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war compelled Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership.

Relations with Russia

Whereas the tone of US-Russia relations has warmed somewhat under Trump, NATO’s presidential allies recognized an official shift in NATO’s perspective towards Russia. The declaration of the 2025 NATO summit acknowledged that “Russia poses a long-term threat”; however it was careful not to condemn Russia outright for its aggression against Ukraine. Of course, all of this is likely reminiscent of Trump’s previous friendship with Putin.

Implications for the Future of NATO

How the NATO summit delegates approach or harness these recent decisions will likely shape our fantastic alliance for years to come. The new target on defense spending will weigh heavily on NATO’s member states moving sofá while changing the collective security dynamic for NATO’s member states. Also, while Ukraine is trifling discussion or sidelined in NATO discussions, it begs the question of where the alliance is heading, and it implies that NATO may not be fully committed to eastern European members.

Salkhan Fossil Park Joins UNESCO Tentative List

The Salkhan Fossils Park in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh has been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a recognition of the geoscientific and ecological significance of the fossil park, which contains the oldest fossils in the world, about 1.4 billion years old. Its inclusion in the UNESCO list will benefit eco-tourism and scientific research on the fossils and ecology of the Salkhan Fossils Park, as well as also increase international interest and tourism in other natural heritage sites in Uttar Pradesh. The state government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is already working to recognize in the global arena natural heritage sites such as Salkhan Fossils Park.

Salkhan Fossils Park has been added to the UNESCO Tentative List, being the first formal step to being recognized as World Heritage Site. The listing follows the scientific verification of the significance of the Salkhan fossil site by the UP Tourism Department and other stakeholders in the eco-tourism development sector.

A few key facts:

• Salkhan Fossils Park is located in Salkhan village of Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, located 15 km from Robertsganj.

• It is one of the oldest fossil sites in the world, containing stromatolites and algae fossils approximately 1.4 billion years old.

Steps to Achieve UNESCO tag

• Being in the tentative list is the first step of the nomination process..

• The state is preparing a detailed dossier to forward to UNESCO through the Government of India.

• Once the dossier is received, the final process of UNESCO is to conduct on-site review and evaluation. This may take about one year.

Scientific Verification

• The UP Eco-Tourism Development Board and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow signed MoU on June 26, 2024, on the study of the Salkhan fossils.

• Studies confirmed the existence of some of the oldest life forms on Earth.

Shikhar Dhawan’s Memoir “The One”

In a deeply personal and reflective direction, former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has published his anticipated memoir “The One: Cricket, My Life and More.” The memoir was published by HarperCollins India and takes readers behind the scenes of Dhawan’s career in cricket, sharing details of his professional achievements, the struggles he experienced emotionally, as well as his own personal growth and progress. After achieving success on the field, Dhawan now provides a more intimate glimpse of his journey- Littered with setbacks, learning, and self-exploration.

The memoir was officially launched on June 26, 2025, and the veracity of the story, along with stories from one of India’s most lovable cricket stars have made the memoir broadly concerning the realm of professional sports. The memoir includes contributions from fellow cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, and Harbhajan Singh, as a collective insight into the life of a modern cricketer.

Significance

• The memoir illustrates a notion about the autobiography frame, and Dhawan’s story goes beyond just cricketing achievements, but also reads as a story of personal renewal. This will likely allow readers beyond cricket fans to relate.

• Shows how public figures manage their mental health, career uncertainty, and emotional journeys in public.

Ambubachi Mela 2025

The Ambubachi Mela is an annual religious festival celebrating the menstruation period of the Goddess Kamakhya at Kamakhya Temple in Assam. It takes place every year during the month of June, for four days. The event is part of a four-day observance of the temple being closed as a sign of the goddess being on her period, highlighting themes of womanhood, and fertility. There are literally lakhs of devotees focused on religious observance, but this festival is also a chance for awareness raising around menstruation, menstrual hygiene, and breaking practices and taboos related to menstruation.

For example, upon completion of the four-day Ambubachi Mahayog on June 26, 2025, the temple opened its doors at 6 AM to devotees. Ambubachi Mahayog was observed on June 22-25 with the opening on the morning of June 26, 2025. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also put forth greetings and blessings to all devotees in recognition of the event, paying homage to the valiant aspects of the festival in religious aspects, but also as a social ceremonial occasion.

About the Ambubachi Mela

• This festival is held every year in June at Kamakhya Temple, in Guwahati, Assam.

• This festival celebrates the menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya, which celebrates the themes of fertility.

• This festival, known as the “Mahakumbh of the East,” brings together lakhs devotees from India to participate in festivities.

• The temple closures were for a period of 4 days, as an opportunity for the goddess to rest (and respect).

Government Involvement

• The CM of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, issued a post about this occasion praying for the welfare of the nation, and praising the strength of the temple in spiritual and civilizational aspects.

• The Government of Assam provided food and large scale arrangements, as well as security for a smooth pilgrimage experience to the devotees present.

NeGD Launches AI in Governance Training for Government Officials at IIT Delhi

In a significant move toward strengthening digital governance in India, the National e-Governance Division, NeGD, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, MeitY, has launched a 2-day training programme on Artificial Intelligence in Governance. The training programme is being conducted at the Department of Management Studies, DMS, IIT Delhi and is aimed at building AI knowledge for central and state department government officials and its applications to governance, public service delivery and policy delivery.

The training programme was inaugurated on June 26, 2025. It is being conducted under Capacitating Building Scheme Phase III of Digital India Programme, which will add to capacity building of India’s public sector and its current usage of AI.

Training Programme Key Highlights

• Event Duration: 2 days, June 26–27, 2025

• Event Location: Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi

• Participants: 59 government officials from ministries, departments, and agencies

• Organised By: National e-Governance Division, NeGD, under the MeitY

• Academic Partner: IIT Delhi

Objectives

• Build capacity for responsible AI use in general public sector operations.

• Foster awareness and understanding of AI policies and frameworks, ethical and legal issues, and digital transformation issues concerning the adoption of AI within public sector operations.

• Help officials use AI tools in decision making; improve service delivery and citizen engagement with government organisations and procedures.

Background & Importance

• The training is being conducted under the CB Phase III of the Digital India Programme, which is focussed on digital capacity building at an institutional and individual level.

• Training will add to the digital transformation project aligned with the public service AI strategy and forms part of a larger vision to digitally transform these services and support government officers who will lead AI-enabled governance reform projects.

Project Elephant Review: Census Phase-I Completed

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav presided over the 21st steering committee meeting of Project Elephant in Dehradun, where the progress of Project Elephant was reviewed, notably, the completion of Phase-I in coordinated census of elephant population in the Northeastern states, the mapping of over 3400km of railway lines to ascertain sites of high-risk for elephant-train collisions, the inclusion of sloth bear and gharial to the Species Recovery Programme, suggest a larger strategic push towards better wildlife conservation and mitigating human-wildlife conflict across India.

The 21st steering committee meeting of Project Elephant formally reviewed its progress in Dehradun. Phase-I of the elephant population census in the Northeast as a whole is complete. Several initiatives for protecting elephants such as mapping sensitive railway lines and DNA profiling were reviewed. Sloth bear and gharial have been added to India’s Species Recovery Programme.

Project Elephant Review

• Meeting Chaired By: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

• Title: To review the progress of Project Elephant, a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at conserving elephants.

• Location: Dehradun.

Population Estimation Updates

• Phase-I of synchronized elephant census is completed in northeastern India.

• 16,500+ dung samples were collected for DNA based population estimation.

• The last official census (2017) estimated 29,964 elephants in India.

• A 2022-23 unpublished interim report indicated a drop in population estimated at 20%.

Railway Collision Mitigation

• 3,452.4 km of sensitive railway stretches were mapped.

• 77 high-risk zones were identified to address elephant fatality.

• Between 2019–2024, 73 elephants died via train collision.

Genetic Profiling of Captive Elephants

• 1,911 DNA profiles created across 22 states.
• Aims to support long-term monitoring and conservation strategies.

Wildlife Species Recovery

• Sloth bear and gharial recommended for inclusion in Species Recovery Programme.
• Focus on restoring dwindling populations and critical habitats.