JUNE 2026 · MONTHLY RECAP

Everything that mattered in June 2026 — in one place

Merged, de-duplicated and simplified from VisionIAS & Drishti Saraansh, built for UPSC Prelims + Mains revision. Every topic is tagged so you know exactly why it matters.

11Subjects

99Topics

112Flashcards

0Duplicates

How to use this recap: Each topic card is tagged for where it's exam-relevant. Tap ▸ Background / Challenges / Way Forward / Judgments to expand deeper detail only if you need it for Mains. Flip the flashcards to test recall, and try the quick quiz at the end of every subject.

Prelims facts, figures, static GK Mains analysis, GS answer-writing Both useful for both

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Polity & Governance

Centre-State friction over water, education and delimitation; judicial independence and decorum debates; and rural governance reforms — June 2026.

Inter-State River Disputes Both

Why in news: The Centre is setting up a High-Level Committee to resolve the Tungabhadra river water-sharing dispute between Telangana, Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Karnataka.

Tungabhadra River: formed by the Tunga and Bhadra rivers meeting at Shimoga (Western Ghats, Karnataka); flows through Karnataka, forms the Karnataka-AP border, then joins the Krishna at Sangameshwaram. Hampi (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) sits on its banks.
The dispute: Karnataka's Upper Bhadra Project is opposed by AP/Telangana; the Tungabhadra Board manages sharing as per the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal; Telangana worries about silt damage to the old Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) canal.
Legal basis: Water is a State subject, but interstate rivers fall under the Union List, so Article 262 lets Parliament handle such disputes (and can even keep courts out). Two laws use this power: the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (sets up tribunals) and the River Boards Act, 1956 (rarely used).

~4% vs 18%India's share of world's fresh water vs its share of world population

Background

The Supreme Court (SC) intervenes on procedural/constitutional grounds via Article 131 (disputes between states) and Article 136 (special leave to appeal) — e.g., in the Cauvery dispute among Kerala, Tamil Nadu (TN), Puducherry and Karnataka.

Challenges

Finite, shared resources and lack of reliable hydrological data.
Long delays — the Godavari dispute was raised in 1962 but got a tribunal only in 1969; award notifications also lag for years.
Weak enforcement — tribunal awards are final but have no contempt/enforcement power, e.g. Goa had to file a contempt petition against Karnataka in the Mahadayi dispute.
Non-inclusive process — the Narmada tribunal decided the Sardar Sarovar Dam plan without consulting local communities, sparking protests.

Way forward

Pass the ISRWD (Amendment) Bill 2019 — one Permanent Tribunal with several benches, plus a Dispute Resolution Committee for time-bound mediation before adjudication.
Strengthen cooperative federalism via the Inter-State Council (Article 263).
Build a transparent national data repository for each river basin.
Adopt an integrated basin-wide approach (models: Australia's Murray-Darling Basin Authority, US's Tennessee Valley Authority) and ensure local stakeholder participation.

Landmark judgments / committees

State of Orissa v Union of India: the jurisdictional bar on courts doesn't apply if the Centre fails to set up a tribunal in time.
Mullaperiyar Dam case: dam safety disputes aren't strictly "water disputes" under the ISRWD Act.
State of AP v Karnataka: SC can't decide a dispute pending before a tribunal, but can interpret the tribunal's award.
State of TN v State of Karnataka (2018): SC modified the Cauvery tribunal award and ordered a Cauvery Water Management Board.

UK Parliamentary System Comparison with India Prelims

Why in news: UK PM Keir Starmer — the 7th UK Prime Minister (PM) in a decade — resigned, reviving comparisons between the British and Indian parliamentary systems.

Similarities: both follow the Westminster model, where the executive is drawn from the legislature; both have a nominal head of state (Monarch/President) plus a real executive headed by the PM; both are bicameral; the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the lower house in both countries.
Key difference: the UK runs on Parliamentary Sovereignty — Parliament is the supreme law-making body and there is no written constitution. India runs on Constitutional Supremacy — Parliament must work within constitutional limits, and courts can strike down laws through judicial review.

Building Viksit Bharat Through Empowered Panchayats Both

Why in news: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj reviewed 12 years of rural governance reforms aimed at building "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) by 2047 through stronger Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

Funding boost: the 15th Finance Commission (2020-26) gave PRIs Rs 2.82 lakh crore; the 16th Finance Commission (2026-31) projects Rs 4.35 lakh crore, an 84% rise.
Capacity building: Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan trained 4.10 crore elected representatives, including 33.55 lakh women; PESA Act 1996 (from the Bhuria Committee, 1995) empowers Gram Sabhas in Fifth Schedule tribal areas.
Tech push: SabhaSaar (an AI tool built on BHASHINI) transcribes Gram Sabha meetings in 13 languages to stop proxy attendance; e-GramSwaraj/PFMS have onboarded 2.59 lakh+ Gram Panchayats handling Rs 3.16 lakh crore in digital transactions; Meri Panchayat App has 1 crore+ downloads.

Rs 4.35 lakh crore16th FC's projected funds for rural local bodies (84% rise)

Challenges

The "3Fs" deficit: Funds (PRIs raise only 1.1% revenue locally per RBI, 2024, depending on transfers for up to 95% of income), Functions (devolution of the 29 subjects under the 11th Schedule is incomplete; states bypass PRIs via parallel bodies), Functionaries (staff shortages).
"Sarpanch Pati/Pradhan Pati" — men acting as proxies undermine women's 33%+ reservation.
Irregular State Finance Commissions.

Way forward

Add a "4th F" — Freedom — to complete the reform.
Strengthen Own Source Revenue and try Panchayat Bonds (model: Indonesia's Dana Desa).
Institutionalise social audits (Mani Shankar Aiyar Committee, 2012; Meghalaya's Social Audit Act, 2017).
Use AI for predictive village-level planning.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in achieving Viksit Bharat through decentralized governance.

Challenges of Journalism in India Both

Why in news: Rising misinformation, the NEET 2026 paper-leak controversy, and misuse of digital platforms have raised concerns about mainstream media's credibility.

Changed information flow: media has shifted from vertical (media-to-masses) to horizontal (peer-to-peer) flow — this democratised information but created "information anarchy" (e.g., 2018 WhatsApp rumours triggered mob lynchings); algorithm-driven echo chambers deepen polarisation.
Business/ownership pressure: clickbait-driven "Attention Economy," "Murdochization" (ownership concentrated among a few groups) and corporate pressure cause self-censorship and SLAPP suits (lawsuits meant to silence journalists); India has no strong cross-media ownership law.
State pressure: laws like UAPA/PMLA and defamation used as "lawfare"; government ad funds (DAVP) used as leverage; the Press Council Act 1978 is a "toothless watchdog" (covers only print, no punitive power); IT Rules 2021's self-regulation model raises overreach concerns.

157th / 180India's rank, 2026 World Press Freedom Index

Way forward

Parliamentary Standing Committee (2025): fact-checking mechanisms, media ombudsmen, a legal definition of "fake news," a stronger Press Council with a complaints portal, mandatory AI-content labelling.
Subscriber-funded news models and anti-SLAPP laws.
Global models: Australia's News Media Bargaining Code, EU's Digital Services Act.

Landmark judgments / committees

Bennett Coleman v Union of India (1972): called a free press the "Ark of the Covenant of Democracy."
Raj Narain v UP Govt (1975): free press is part of Article 19 (freedom of speech).
Shreya Singhal v Union of India (2015): struck down Section 66A of the IT Act.
Madhyamam Broadcasting v Union of India (2023): struck down a sealed-cover "national security" license revocation.

Mains practice questionSocial media has democratized information but also intensified misinformation and polarization — critically examine.

Telegram Ban and Section 69A of IT Act Prelims

Why in news: The Delhi High Court upheld the government's temporary block of Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam.

Telegram was blocked under Section 69A, IT Act 2000, which allows blocking on grounds like sovereignty, security, public order, or preventing incitement.
The government called Telegram a "new dark web" — its end-to-end encryption, ability to edit messages after sending, and up to 2GB file sharing made it easy to spread leaked exam papers, and it's also linked to cybercrime and money-laundering "mule accounts."
Emergency Powers under Rule 9 of the IT Blocking Rules 2009 let the government skip the usual pre-decision hearing in urgent cases; the SC had already upheld Section 69A's validity in Shreya Singhal v Union of India (2015), citing its built-in safeguards.

Challenges

Proportionality is questioned given Telegram's ~150 million Indian users, and the block may affect free speech under Article 19(1)(a).
Critics call it a "Band-Aid" fix — the real problem is systemic exam-security failure, not just platform misuse.

Farm Loan Waivers in India Mains

Why in news: Tamil Nadu waived cooperative crop loans up to Rs 75,000, even though its own White Paper shows the state carries Rs 13.18 lakh crore in debt — reviving the welfare-vs-fiscal-discipline debate.

An RBI Internal Working Group (2019) found waivers are strongly linked to election cycles — used as a political tool more than a response to genuine farmer distress.
Waivers help only formal bank/cooperative borrowers, leaving out tenant farmers and landless labourers (the "exclusion error").
They create "moral hazard" — weakening credit discipline and penalising farmers who repay honestly.
Fiscal impact: many states' debt-to-GDP ratio is 27-29%, above the FRBM Committee's (2019) 20% benchmark; waivers crowd out capital spending, and off-budget borrowing hides the true scale of state debt.

Rs 13.18 lakh croreTamil Nadu's own debt burden per its White Paper

Way forward

Prefer direct income support: PM-KISAN, Odisha's KALIA, Telangana's Rythu Bandhu.
Expand the Kisan Credit Card, e-NAM (electronic National Agriculture Market), MSP (Minimum Support Price) coverage and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Strengthen PMFBY crop insurance and invest in warehousing/agro-processing infrastructure.

EAC-PM Recommendations on Delimitation Both

Why in news: The Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM) released a working paper on how India's next delimitation (redrawing) of Lok Sabha seats should be done.

It recommends multi-factor criteria — not just population — to "target" seat splitting while protecting large states' current seat share.
It studied 2009-2024 election data on voter turnout, constituency size, urban population share, SC/ST population share, and linguistic diversity.
It suggests timing the delimitation exercise with a fresh booth-rationalisation cycle and the 2027 Census.

Background

Delimitation means redrawing constituency boundaries so each seat represents roughly equal numbers of voters. Article 82 requires a Delimitation Act after every Census (Article 170 does the same for state assemblies). The Delimitation Commission — headed by a serving/retired SC judge along with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and State Election Commissioners — has given orders in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002; its orders cannot be challenged in court. The 42nd Amendment (1976) froze Lok Sabha seat totals at 1971 Census levels (so states that controlled population growth wouldn't lose seats); the 84th Amendment (2001) extended this freeze to the first Census after 2026.

11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog Prelims

Why in news: The PM chaired this meeting, notable because all 28 states and 5 Union Territories (UTs) took part for the first time. Theme: "Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat @2047."

Key initiatives discussed: expanding "Lakhpati Didis" (women earning over Rs 1 lakh/year through self-help groups) from 3 crore to 6 crore; promoting One District One Product (ODOP) and defence manufacturing.
Building AI infrastructure/data centres and an AI-skilled workforce; water conservation and organic farming across 100 aspirational agricultural districts.
Introducing district-wise GDP tracking and faster grievance redressal for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Background

NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission from 1 January 2015. It is chaired by the PM, includes all Chief Ministers/Lieutenant Governors and NITI's own Vice-Chair and Members, and is meant to promote cooperative and competitive federalism. Its Regional Councils handle issues that cut across states.

Navigating Federalism in Higher Education Both

Why in news: Disputes over NEP 2020 (National Education Policy), university autonomy, and Vice-Chancellor (VC) appointments have turned higher education into a Centre-State flashpoint.

The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill 2025 may replace the UGC, AICTE and NCTE with a single central regulator, cutting into state autonomy; central funds like PM-USHA and the National Research Foundation are tied to compliance.
Friction points: rollout of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) without regard to regional readiness; resistance to the three-language formula (e.g., Tamil Nadu); Governors making unilateral VC appointments; NEET exams bypassing state curricula and reservation policies.

Background

Education moved from the State List to the Concurrent List via the 42nd Amendment (1976); under Article 254, Union law prevails in a conflict. Union List Entry 66 gives the Centre power over institutions of national importance. The Sarkaria Commission (1988) said the Union should set norms while states implement them; the Punchhi Commission (2010) wanted Governors de-politicised in their role as university Chancellors.

Way forward

Revive the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) and the Inter-State Council.
Let states adapt national policy with only minimum shared standards; keep the three-language formula and CUET flexible.
Decentralise funding and rotate state representation in bodies like VBSA.

Landmark judgments / committees

Modern Dental College v State of MP (2016): upheld reasonable state regulation of professional education.
Prof. Yashpal v State of Chhattisgarh (2005): struck down a state law allowing unchecked proliferation of private universities.
T.N. v Adhiyaman (1995): central regulatory standards (AICTE) override conflicting state rules.

Mains practice questionEducation was shifted to the Concurrent List to promote coordination, yet has increasingly become a source of Centre-State friction — examine.

Report on Datasets for State Finance Commissions Prelims

Why in news: A Ministry of Panchayati Raj report (June 2026) found major data gaps in State Finance Commission (SFC) reports, which decide how states share revenue with local bodies.

Problems found: no consolidated accounts, fragmented data, a shortage of trained accounting staff, and an average 16-month delay in reporting.
The 16th Finance Commission found SFC reports "largely unusable" for deciding central transfers to states, and suggested dropping Articles 280(3)(bb)/(c) — the constitutional link tying central Finance Commission recommendations to SFC reports.
Existing data sources — eGramSwaraj, the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0, Census/SECC 2011, and CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) audits — all have gaps.

Way forward

Restructure the PAI by need and backwardness; build a time-series, Gram-Panchayat-level financial database.
Have the CAG conduct a performance audit of the 73rd Amendment; set up Permanent SFC Cells and a common reporting format.
Create an SFC Manual through NIPFP (National Institute of Public Finance and Policy).

Ordinance-Created Supreme Court Posts and Judicial Independence Both

Why in news: 5 new Supreme Court (SC) judges were appointed using 3 posts created via the SC (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance 2026, raising concerns about judicial independence.

The SC originally had the Chief Justice of India (CJI) plus not more than 7 judges; Article 124(1) lets Parliament change this strength by law — raised to 31 in 2009 and 34 in 2019.
Normally, strength is changed via a Bill passed by both Houses. But Article 123 lets the President issue an Ordinance when Parliament isn't in session — it has the force of law immediately, but lapses 6 weeks after Parliament reassembles unless converted into an Act. The government cited a 93,000-case backlog to justify the extra posts.

Challenges

Since Ordinance-made posts can lapse, judges effectively depend on the executive renewing them — undermining judicial independence, which is part of the Constitution's Basic Structure.
The Union government is the SC's single biggest litigant, creating a conflict-of-interest optic.
This goes against the spirit of the NJAC judgment (2015), which held that executive control over judicial appointments harms judicial primacy.
If the replacement Bill fails, SC strength reverts to 34 — leaving the status of judges on the lapsed posts untested in law.

Way forward

Courts should treat the "de facto doctrine" (that acts of a person functioning as judge remain valid) only as a temporary shield, not a permanent fix.
The collegium could delay swearing in judges until the Ordinance becomes a full Act.
Judges appointed to such posts could voluntarily recuse from major cases involving the Union government.

Landmark judgments / committees

R.C. Cooper v Union of India (1970): early case testing limits of Ordinance-making power.
D.C. Wadhwa v State of Bihar (1986): repeated re-promulgation of Ordinances is unconstitutional.
NJAC judgment (2015): struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission, holding that executive involvement in appointments compromises judicial independence.

Article 142 and the Right to Safe Travel Both

Why in news: In "In Re: Phaldoi Accident v NHAI" (2025), the Supreme Court used its extraordinary Article 142 power to declare safe travel on National Highways a fundamental right under Article 21 (Right to Life), after two accidents in November 2025 killed 34 people.

Article 142(1) lets the SC pass any order needed for "complete justice" — an inherent, residual power, not one created by a specific statute.
National Highways make up only about 2% of India's road network but cause roughly 30% of all road deaths.
The Court laid down a "4Es" framework — Education, Engineering, Enforcement, and Emergency Medical Services — targeting a 50% cut in road accidents by 2030.

30% of deathsoccur on National Highways, which are only 2% of India's road network

Challenges

Some see this as judicial overreach into policymaking, raising separation-of-powers concerns — the SC itself, in Hitesh Bhatnagar v Deepa Bhatnagar (2011), had cautioned that Article 142 must be used with extraordinary care.

Landmark judgments / committees

Delhi Judicial Service Assn v State of Gujarat (1991): called the Article 142 power "of an entirely different quality" from ordinary judicial power.
Canara Bank v Debasis Das (2003): held that substantive justice matters more than formal procedure.
Anil Kumar Jain v Maya Jain (2009): High Courts' Article 226 powers are not equal to the SC's Article 142 power.
Hitesh Bhatnagar v Deepa Bhatnagar (2011): SC cautioned that Article 142 must be used with extraordinary care.

Supreme Court's Revival of Sedition Trials Both

Why in news: In Kamran v State of Madhya Pradesh (May 2026), the SC held that lower courts may go ahead with Section 124A (sedition) trials if the accused clearly consents to it — even while the law's constitutional validity is still under challenge.

Section 124A was drafted by Macaulay in 1837, added to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 1890, and used against Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi (who called it "the prince among the political sections of the IPC").
Under the new BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) 2023, the word "sedition" is dropped and replaced by Section 152, which punishes acts endangering India's sovereignty, unity or integrity — focused on the State rather than the government, punishable up to life imprisonment.
The 22nd Law Commission (2020) had recommended keeping the law with safeguards, warning that scrapping it would push cases toward harsher laws like UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act).

Challenges

There are doubts about how truly "voluntary" an undertrial's consent is when they are seeking bail; the law has a chilling effect on journalists and activists; the UK itself abolished its own sedition law back in 2009.

Way forward

Expedite the pending seven-judge Constitution Bench ruling on Section 124A's validity, and narrowly define the vague terms used in BNS Section 152.

Landmark judgments / committees

Kedar Nath Singh v State of Bihar (1962): upheld the sedition law but limited it to speech that incites violence or public disorder.
Balwant Singh v State of Punjab (1995): casual sloganeering does not amount to sedition.
S.G. Vombatkere v Union of India (2022): put Section 124A in complete abeyance — no fresh FIRs, no coercive action, pending cases stayed.
Kamran v State of MP (2026): allowed trials to proceed only with the accused's explicit consent.

Mains practice question"Colonial-era criminal laws are incompatible with modern constitutional democracy" — evaluate with reference to sedition law.

Judicial Decorum in the Digital Age Mains

Why in news: The Chief Justice of India (CJI) issued a clarification after public backlash — including a mock "Cockroach Janta Party" reaction — over sharp oral remarks made during a Supreme Court hearing that criticised unmeritorious litigation.

The Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (1997) says judges should avoid public debate on political or pending matters; the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct (2002, UN-endorsed) stress that judges must preserve public faith in their impartiality.
The "Vijayabhaskar Standard" (from CEC v M.R. Vijayabhaskar, 2021, the Madras High Court's Covid-remarks case) holds that oral remarks aid "spontaneity of thought," but a court's formal position exists only in its written judgments and orders. A.M. Mathur v Pramod Kumar Gupta (1990) compared judicial restraint to army discipline.
Example: in Supriyo v Union of India (2023), oral remarks hinted same-sex unions might be recognised, but the final written judgment went the other way — showing oral comments aren't the court's final word.

Challenges

Sharp oral remarks can erode public trust, discourage vulnerable litigants, and risk inviting political attempts to regulate the judiciary.

Way forward

Update judicial-conduct rules for the live-streaming/digital era.
Train judges through the National Judicial Academy on the Bangalore Principles; strengthen in-house peer accountability.
Use official AI-based court transcripts to prevent misreporting of remarks.

Right to be Forgotten Prelims

Why in news: The Delhi High Court recognised the "Right to be Forgotten" (RTBF) as part of the Right to Privacy under Article 21.

RTBF lets individuals ask for outdated, irrelevant, or privacy-harming personal information to be removed from digital platforms; it was first recognised internationally in the EU's Google Spain case (2014, Court of Justice of the European Union).
The Delhi HC held RTBF can be enforced in India even without a dedicated statute — it ordered search engines (like Google) and legal databases to mask personal identifiers and switch off "name-based search," with global effect.
This balances open justice against personal dignity: people who are acquitted, discharged, or whose cases are settled can have that outcome reflected accurately online, while the underlying legal reasoning stays intact in official unredacted records.
RTBF is not absolute — it is denied for convictions in crimes against women/children, or for breach of public trust by officials.

Amendments to Immigration and Foreigners Rules 2025 Prelims

Why in news: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) tightened rules on foreigner registration and citizenship tracking.

Foreigners on visas of 180 days or less who seek an extension must now register before their 180 days run out (earlier, they had up to 14 extra days after expiry); multi-entry visa holders must also register before hitting the 180-day cap.
The mandatory 30-day birth-registration rule for children of foreign nationals won't apply if one parent is an Indian citizen who wants the child to keep Indian citizenship — but if that child later takes foreign citizenship, parents must inform the authorities within 30 days. Compliance rules for hospitals/nursing homes were also updated.
This links to broader citizenship-tracking moves: proposed changes to the Citizenship Rules 2009 (requiring declarations on Pakistan/Afghanistan/Bangladesh passports) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2026, which introduces electronic OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards, or e-OCI.

⚡ Flashcards — flip to test recall

Which Article lets Parliament adjudicate interstate river water disputes?TAP

Article 262

The Tungabhadra River is formed by which two rivers meeting?TAP

The Tunga and Bhadra, at Shimoga (Western Ghats)

Key difference between UK and Indian parliamentary systems?TAP

UK: Parliamentary Sovereignty (no written constitution). India: Constitutional Supremacy (judicial review can strike down laws)

How much did the 16th Finance Commission project for rural local bodies (2026-31)?TAP

Rs 4.35 lakh crore — an 84% rise over the 15th FC's Rs 2.82 lakh crore

Under which section was Telegram blocked in India?TAP

Section 69A, IT Act 2000

Who recommended retaining Section 124A (sedition) with safeguards?TAP

The 22nd Law Commission (2020)

Which Article power did the SC use to declare safe highway travel a fundamental right?TAP

Article 142 ("complete justice" power) — In Re: Phaldoi Accident v NHAI, 2025

Which amendment moved Education from the State List to the Concurrent List?TAP

The 42nd Amendment, 1976

Which case first recognised the Right to be Forgotten internationally?TAP

The Google Spain case, Court of Justice of the European Union, 2014

What replaced "sedition" (old Section 124A) under the BNS 2023?TAP

Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)

📝 Quick quiz

Q1. Which two laws were enacted under Article 262 to handle interstate water disputes?

Answer: The Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956 (sets up tribunals) and the River Boards Act, 1956 (allows river boards, though none have been constituted so far).

Q2. Which committee's recommendations led to the PESA Act, 1996?

Answer: The Bhuria Committee (1995). PESA empowers Gram Sabhas in Fifth Schedule tribal areas.

Q3. What share of India's road deaths happen on National Highways, and what share of the road network do they form?

Answer: About 30% of road deaths occur on National Highways, even though they make up only about 2% of the total road network.

Q4. How many new Supreme Court judge posts were created by the SC (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance 2026?

Answer: 3 new posts, used to appoint 5 new judges; this was justified by a 93,000-case backlog.

Q5. What was India's rank in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index?

Answer: 157th out of 180 countries.

Q6. What is the Supreme Court's sanctioned judge strength after the 2019 amendment (before the 2026 Ordinance)?

Answer: 34 judges (raised from 31 in 2009, and originally just the CJI plus 7 judges).

Q7. Which case showed that a judge's oral courtroom remarks are not the court's final legal position?

Answer: Supriyo v Union of India (2023) — oral remarks hinted at recognising same-sex unions, but the final written judgment ruled otherwise.

Q8. Under the amended Immigration and Foreigners Rules 2025, by when must a short-term visa holder register for an extension?

Answer: Before their 180-day visa period expires (earlier rules allowed registering up to 14 days after expiry).

Q9. Which proposed central body may replace the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE in higher education?

Answer: The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA), under the VBSA Bill 2025.

Q10. Which amendments froze India's Lok Sabha seat numbers, and until when?

Answer: The 42nd Amendment (1976) froze seats at 1971 Census levels; the 84th Amendment (2001) extended this freeze until the first Census after 2026.

📌 Quick facts (minor items)

Additional Judges as Permanent Judges, Bombay High Court: several additional judges of the Bombay HC were confirmed as permanent judges, a routine appointment step to fill vacancies and speed up case disposal.

Raghav Chadha — Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions: the Rajya Sabha (RS) MP was made Chairman of this committee, one of Parliament's oldest (traces to a 1921 Council of State resolution, current name since 1933); it examines public petitions and can summon witnesses.

NeSDA (National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment): a government framework/index that ranks states/UTs and central ministries on how well they deliver e-governance services to citizens.

DISHA 2.0 (Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice): a reform initiative using technology to improve access to justice.

Right to Trauma Care: recognises a citizen's right to emergency accident/trauma medical care, linked to Article 21 (Right to Life).

Right to Walk: a recognised entitlement to safe pedestrian infrastructure and footpaths as part of urban planning and road safety.

Proof of Citizenship: concerns which documents/processes are accepted to prove Indian citizenship, relevant amid NRC (National Register of Citizens) and citizenship-verification debates.

FCRA, 2010 (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act): regulates how individuals, associations and NGOs in India can accept and use foreign donations, to protect national interest.

COSP19 UNCRPD: the 19th Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — a global forum reviewing progress on disability rights.

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Nation & States

Language policy in Nagaland, Assam's new Uniform Civil Code, a border truce with Meghalaya, and two states mark their statehood anniversaries.

Three-Language Formula and Nagaland's Linguistic Challenge Both

Why in news: The Association of Unaided CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) Schools, Nagaland, opposed CBSE's mandate to implement the Three-Language Formula under the NEP (National Education Policy) 2020, calling it impractical given the state's linguistic diversity.

Nagaland's language mix: The state has no single common regional language — 17 major tribes speak distinct languages; English is Nagaland's official language and medium of instruction.
No Eighth Schedule entry: None of Nagaland's tribal languages is included in the Constitution's Eighth Schedule, which lists 22 official languages.
Origin of the formula: The Three-Language Formula was proposed by the Kothari Commission (1964-66) and adopted in the National Policy on Education 1968 (Hindi + English + a modern Indian language).
NEP 2020 version: The formula is now more flexible — students learn 3 languages, of which at least 2 must be native Indian languages, giving states and students more choice than before.
Article 29: Protects the right of minorities to conserve their own language and culture.
Article 343: Makes Hindi (in Devanagari script) the official language of the Union, alongside English.
Article 350A: Provides for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary level for linguistic minorities.

17major tribes, each with a distinct language

Background

The Three-Language Formula traces back to the Kothari Commission (1964-66) and was first adopted in the National Policy on Education, 1968, as Hindi + English + a modern Indian language. NEP 2020 kept the three-language structure but made it more flexible, requiring only that at least two of the three be native Indian languages, leaving room for states and students to choose which languages to study.

Challenges

Nagaland has no common regional language to fit into the formula.
Shortage of trained teachers, textbooks, and standard curricula for multilingual classrooms.

Way forward

Use teachers with functional proficiency in the required languages.
Leverage Sahodaya school clusters (voluntary groups of CBSE-affiliated schools) for shared resources.
Adopt hybrid or virtual teaching for languages with few local teachers.
Engage retired teachers to fill staffing gaps.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the challenges in implementing the Three-Language Formula in linguistically diverse states like Nagaland, and suggest measures to balance national integration with linguistic diversity.

Assam UCC Bill 2026 Both

Why in news: The Assam Legislative Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Assam Bill 2026, making Assam the first Northeast state, and the third state overall (after Uttarakhand and Gujarat), to adopt such a law.

Ban on polygamy/bigamy: The bill bans polygamy and bigamy outright; violation attracts up to 7 years' jail under Section 82 of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India's criminal code).
ST exemption: Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Assam are explicitly exempted, so their customary laws remain untouched.
Live-in relationships: Registering a live-in relationship is mandatory within 1 month; failure attracts a fine or 3 months' jail. Children from such unions are legally recognised, and deserted women can claim maintenance.
Marriage rules: Minimum marriage age is set at 21 for men and 18 for women; registration of marriage or divorce is compulsory within 60 days.
Inheritance: The bill ensures gender-equal inheritance rules regardless of religion.
What a UCC is: A Uniform Civil Code replaces religion-based personal laws with one common civil code covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. It is a Directive Principle under Article 44 of the Constitution, meaning it is non-justiciable (courts cannot enforce it directly).
Goa precedent: Goa is the only state with a long-standing UCC — the Goa Civil Code, inherited from Portuguese-era rule.

3rdstate to adopt a UCC, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat

Challenges

Concerns that it infringes the Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles 25-28).
Mandatory live-in registration raises privacy concerns under Article 21.
Risk of creating a "two-tier citizenship" if tribal exemptions are not handled carefully.

Way forward

Codify existing personal laws first to expose their biases, as recommended by the 21st Law Commission (2018).
Balance religious-freedom rights with equality rights.
Consider a dedicated UCC Commission to study global models and guide states.

Landmark judgments / committees

Shah Bano case (1985).
Sarla Mudgal v Union of India (1995).
Shayara Bano v Union of India (2017) — struck down instant triple talaq.
Jose Paulo Coutinho v Maria Luiza Valentina Pereira (2019) — praised Goa's UCC model.
All four cases called for a Uniform Civil Code.

Mains practice questionExamine whether a Uniform Civil Code can be implemented in India without undermining religious freedom and cultural diversity.

Assam-Meghalaya Border Conflict Prelims

Why in news: Villagers from Assam and Meghalaya resumed farming in the disputed Tapat-Lapangap sector, ending weeks of tension, under a temporary crop-sharing arrangement.

The border: Assam and Meghalaya share an 855 km border with 12 disputed sectors, a dispute unresolved since Meghalaya became a full state in 1972.
2022 agreement: A 2022 agreement resolved 6 of the 12 disputed sectors, leaving 6 sectors (including Tapat-Lapangap) still awaiting final resolution.
Interim fix used: Karbi community farmers from Assam are cultivating fields claimed by Meghalaya for one season, while Khasi-Pnar farmers from Meghalaya are cultivating fields claimed by Assam.
Significance: It is an example of local cooperation easing tensions around an unresolved boundary dispute, without settling the underlying claim.

855 kmborder shared by Assam and Meghalaya

12disputed sectors (6 resolved in 2022)

Background

The dispute dates back to 1972, when Meghalaya was carved out as a full state from Assam, leaving 12 sectors along their shared border in dispute. A 2022 agreement between the two states settled 6 of these sectors, but 6 — including Tapat-Lapangap — remain unresolved, occasionally causing tension between local communities on both sides.

Telangana Statehood Day Both

Why in news: Observed every year on 2 June — Telangana became India's 29th state on this day in 2014.

Formation: Telangana was formed by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, splitting it from Andhra Pradesh.
Pre-independence history: The region was earlier the princely state of Hyderabad under the Nizam; it was integrated into India via Operation Polo (1948).
1956 merger: The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 merged Telangana with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh, even though the States Reorganisation Commission (1953) had initially suggested it stay separate.
Roots of the statehood demand: Grievances over the Mulki Rules (job protections reserved for locals) and the 1956 Gentlemen's Agreement fuelled the demand for a separate state.
Revival and outcome: The statehood movement revived after 2001, leading to the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee (2010) and eventual statehood in 2014.

29thstate of India, formed in 2014

Background

Hyderabad State, ruled by the Nizam, was integrated into India through Operation Polo (1948).
The States Reorganisation Commission (1953) had recommended Telangana remain separate, but the States Reorganisation Act (1956) merged it with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh.
Local resentment over the Mulki Rules and the 1956 Gentlemen's Agreement kept the separate-statehood demand alive.
The movement gained fresh momentum after 2001, and the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee (2010) examined the issue before Parliament passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Mains practice questionTrace the history of the Telangana statehood movement and discuss the factors that have historically guided the reorganisation of states in India.

Goa Statehood Day Prelims

Why in news: Celebrated annually on 30 May — Goa became India's 25th state on this day in 1987.

Colonial history: The Portuguese ruled Goa for 451 years (1510-1961), starting when Afonso de Albuquerque took it from the Bijapur Sultanate.
Liberation: Operation Vijay (1961) liberated Goa, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule; a 1974 India-Portugal treaty formally recognised India's sovereignty over the territory.
Union Territory phase: The 12th Constitutional Amendment (1962) first made Goa, Daman and Diu a Union Territory.
Full statehood: The Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987 granted Goa full statehood on 30 May 1987, while Daman and Diu remained a separate Union Territory.

25thstate of India, formed in 1987

451 yrsof Portuguese rule (1510-1961)

Background

Portuguese colonial rule over Goa began in 1510 when Afonso de Albuquerque captured it from the Bijapur Sultanate, and lasted 451 years. India liberated Goa, Daman and Diu through Operation Vijay in 1961, and Portugal formally recognised Indian sovereignty over the territory through a 1974 treaty. Goa, Daman and Diu was first made a Union Territory by the 12th Constitutional Amendment (1962), before the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987 carved out Goa as a full state.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

Which Schedule of the Constitution lists India's 22 official languages?TAP

The Eighth Schedule

Who first proposed the Three-Language Formula?TAP

The Kothari Commission (1964-66)

Assam's UCC Bill 2026 makes it which numbered state to adopt a Uniform Civil Code?TAP

3rd — after Uttarakhand and Gujarat

Minimum marriage age for men and women under Assam's UCC?TAP

21 for men, 18 for women

Length of the Assam-Meghalaya border, and how many sectors are disputed?TAP

855 km border; 12 disputed sectors (6 resolved in 2022)

Telangana became India's which state, and in what year?TAP

29th state, in 2014

Which Act split Telangana from Andhra Pradesh?TAP

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014

Goa became India's which state, and on what date?TAP

25th state, on 30 May 1987

🧠 Quick Quiz

Which article of the Constitution provides for mother-tongue instruction at the primary level for linguistic minorities?

Answer: Article 350A

Under NEP 2020's Three-Language Formula, how many of the three languages must be native Indian languages?

Answer: At least 2

Which state has a long-standing Uniform Civil Code inherited from the colonial era?

Answer: Goa (the Goa Civil Code, from Portuguese-era rule)

Under Assam's UCC Bill 2026, which community is explicitly exempted from its provisions?

Answer: Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Assam

Which Supreme Court case struck down instant triple talaq?

Answer: Shayara Bano v Union of India (2017)

In which year did Meghalaya become a full state, marking the start of its border dispute with Assam?

Answer: 1972

Which 1948 military operation integrated the princely state of Hyderabad into India?

Answer: Operation Polo

Which 1961 military operation liberated Goa, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule?

Answer: Operation Vijay

🌐

International Relations

India's June 2026 diplomacy spanned Quad and BRICS multilateralism, a landmark France innovation pact, Middle East war fallout on IMEC and oil, and a wave of bilateral upgrades from Slovakia to South Africa.

QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Both

Why in news: The 11th Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting was held in New Delhi, bringing together India, the United States (US), Japan and Australia.

Indo-Pacific Connectivity: Pledge to connect all Pacific Island Forum countries, including Fiji, via undersea cables by 2026; port infrastructure in Fiji to be advanced under the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership.
Maritime Surveillance: The Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) initiative will start with the Indian Ocean Region, enabling real-time information sharing using Quad members' combined surveillance capabilities.
Energy Security Initiative: Quad partners will cooperate on technology, market analysis and emergency-response exercises to keep energy markets open and supply chains diversified.
Critical Minerals Initiative Framework: A $20 billion fund to coordinate investment in mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals to strengthen global supply chains.
Other outcomes: A Coast Guard-led Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission (under the Wilmington Declaration) to be hosted by India; new collaboration on Next-Gen Communication Standards, specifically 6G.
Relevance for India: Reduces dependence on a single supplier for critical minerals (EVs, batteries, semiconductors); strengthens Indian Ocean maritime security; expands connectivity under India's MAHASAGAR vision; over $50 million already given for Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) capacity building.

$20bncritical minerals fund

24%of world population

35%of world GDP

Background

Quad is an informal strategic grouping of India, US, Japan and Australia. It originated from coordinating humanitarian aid after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, was formally proposed by Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in 2007, went dormant, and was revived in 2017 amid concerns over the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. It works through 6 leader-level working groups (Climate, Critical & Emerging Tech, Cyber, Health Security, Infrastructure, Space). Exercise Malabar involves all four navies but is not formally a Quad military exercise. Quad represents about 24% of world population, 35% of world GDP and 18% of global trade.

Challenges

Divergent priorities: India stresses strategic autonomy while the US focuses on competition with China.
Declining Indo-Pacific focus, e.g. the US reviving the "US Pacific Command" (USPACOM) name in place of "Indo-Pacific Command."
AUKUS (Australia-UK-US defence pact) raises concerns of diluted US commitment to Quad.
No permanent secretariat, treaty obligations or dedicated funding mechanism.
Limited on-ground impact compared with China's Belt and Road Initiative (20,000 projects financed by 2023); results like the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity remain limited to one subsea cable in Palau.

Way forward

Adopt a "2+1" model (two Quad members plus one beneficiary country) for faster, locally tailored infrastructure delivery.
Revive the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and link it with the Lobito Corridor or EU's Global Gateway.
Deepen cooperation with ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum for inclusive, regionally owned projects.
Use Quad Development Finance Corporations and policy banks to de-risk investment and mobilise public-private capital.
Set clear timelines and performance indicators so Quad evolves into an action-oriented partnership.

BRICS Agriculture Cooperation Both

Why in news: Under India's BRICS Presidency (2026), the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting was held at Indore — the first such meeting to include Partner Countries alongside Members.

Theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"; the BRICS Indore Declaration was unanimously adopted.
Farmers' rights: Launch of the Global Forum on Farmers' Rights in Seed Systems, coordinated by India's Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority.
Trade and cooperation: Support for a proposed BRICS Grain Exchange; launch of BRICS AGRIN (Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources and Information Network); use of the BRICS Basic Agricultural Information Exchange System (BAIES) and strengthening of the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform (BARP).
Climate-resilient farming: A BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Agroecology, coordinated initially by ICAR-IIFSR, Modipuram; use of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS, an FAO tag) — India has three such sites: Kuttanad (Kerala), Koraput (Odisha) and Pampore saffron heritage (Jammu & Kashmir).
Digital agriculture: A new BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture, coordinated initially by IIT Delhi, to bring Artificial Intelligence (AI) into farming.
Relevance for India: Advances strategic autonomy and Global South leadership; a platform to manage India-China relations; adds a connectivity dimension via Iran's Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC); pushes back against measures like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

49.5%of global population

~40%of global GDP (PPP)

~26%of global trade

Background

Economist Jim O'Neill coined "BRIC" in 2001; the first BRIC Summit was held in Russia (2009). The Fortaleza Declaration (2014) created the New Development Bank (NDB, HQ Shanghai, $100bn authorised capital) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (a $100bn currency-swap safety net). Original members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. New members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia (first Southeast Asian member). Partner countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. There is no permanent secretariat.

Challenges

India seeks to keep BRICS "non-Western," not "anti-Western," to protect ties with the US, EU and Quad.
Divergent positions among members, e.g. on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
China's growing dominance and its push for Pakistan's membership risk tilting BRICS in Beijing's favour.
Structural contradictions among expanded members (e.g. Iran-UAE rivalry) stalled consensus at 2026 ministerial meetings.

Way forward

Rationalise the agenda and streamline institutional mechanisms.
Set transparent rules for admitting new members/partners.
Build a BRICS AI Centre, Innovation Bridge Strategy and Cybersecurity Action Plan.
Expand local-currency trade settlement, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and an NDB presence in GIFT City.

India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 Both

Why in news: The India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 was formally adopted on 14 June 2026 in Nice, France, during the Indian Prime Minister's meeting with President Macron — their first meeting since ties were elevated to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" — which also launched the first India-France Economic Security Dialogue.

Pillar I — Trusted AI: Promotes safe, democratic-values-aligned AI governance; builds on the 2025 India-France AI Declaration; integrates India's Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) with French trusted data spaces; a new India-France "Trusted AI" Working Group was set up.
Pillar II — Academic Mobility: Supports France's target of hosting 30,000 Indian students by 2030; expands the 2018 Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) framework to emerging-tech fields for dual degrees and joint doctorates.
Pillar III — Technological Sovereignty: Sets up the InnoXchange Bridge startup corridor and the digital India-France Innovation Network (IFIN); establishes a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics at NSTI Kanpur; deepens space ties via events like the Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX); France will incubate 10 more Indian startups at Station F, Europe's largest startup campus.
Pillar IV — Global Health: Pilots consent-based health-data sharing between India's ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and France's Health Data Hub.
Other outcomes: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expanding into France, including Paris and Nice airports; the new Economic Security Dialogue covers critical minerals, semiconductors, energy and cybersecurity, aiming to double bilateral trade in 5 years; the "Bharat Innovates 2026" event in Nice showcased 120 Indian deep-tech startups.

€13.59bnIndia-France trade (2025-26)

30,000Indian students target by 2030

120startups at Bharat Innovates 2026

Background

Ties were elevated to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" in February 2026 during Macron's visit for the AI Impact Summit, guided by the "Horizon 2047" roadmap alongside India's Viksit Bharat 2047 and France's own France 2030 strategy. France is India's 2nd-largest arms supplier after Russia (26 Rafale-Marine jets, Scorpene submarines) and its 3rd-largest EU trading partner and 11th-largest foreign investor; the Tata-Airbus H125 helicopter assembly line in Karnataka is India's first private helicopter facility.

Challenges

Delays in the 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project over tariffs and liability law (Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010).
France's NATO alignment versus India's strategic autonomy, especially on Russia and China.
Mismatch between India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model and EU rules like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
Economic ties still lag behind defence/strategic depth; the India-EU Free Trade Agreement remains delayed.

Way forward

Move from tech transfer to co-development (jet engines, drones, space-defence) with shared intellectual property (IP).
Use the Economic Security Dialogue for critical minerals, semiconductors and green hydrogen.
Deepen India-France-Australia and India-France-UAE trilaterals and Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation.

Mains practice question"India-France relations have evolved from traditional strategic cooperation to a technology-driven partnership." Critically examine.

Future of IMEC Amid the Middle East War Both

Why in news: The Iran conflict has simultaneously strengthened the strategic case for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and complicated its execution.

What is IMEC: A multi-modal connectivity project of ports, railways, roads and pipelines linking India, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean and Europe; announced at the 2023 G20 Summit under India's presidency.
Signatories: India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, Italy and the European Union.
Two corridors: The East Corridor links India to the Arabian Gulf; the North Corridor extends from the Gulf to European markets.
Significance for India: Estimated to cut transportation time by 40% and logistics costs by 30%, offering an alternative to the congested Suez Canal route.
Current vulnerabilities: The Iran-Israel war has widened into a regional conflict threatening IMEC's routes; the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint has triggered oil-price and shipping-risk spikes; Israel-Arab diplomatic ties have strained, stalling coordinated infrastructure work; UAE-Saudi Arabia have diverse stakeholder interests complicating funding.
Related update: The subsequent US-Iran "Islamabad MoU" (see below) has, per analysts, slowed IMEC further due to Israel's isolation from the deal, even as it revived alternate routes like Chabahar and the INSTC.

Way forward

Strengthen West Asian diplomacy for the regional stability IMEC execution needs.
Prioritise phased development of key infrastructure segments to build early momentum.
Deepen economic and trade ties with the EU and Gulf partners.

65 Years of the Antarctic Treaty Prelims

Why in news: The Antarctic Treaty, in force since 23 June 1961, marked its 65th anniversary in 2026, even as it faces new pressures from geopolitical competition, climate change and resource interests.

Origins: Signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 (observed as Antarctica Day), entered into force on 23 June 1961 after the International Geophysical Year (1957-58); applies south of 60°S latitude, about 10% of the Earth's surface.
Key provisions: Peaceful purposes only (Article I); freedom of scientific research (Articles II & III); freezing of territorial claims of Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom (Article IV); nuclear-free zone banning nuclear weapons and radioactive waste (Article V).
Membership: 12 original signatories in 1959; now 58 Parties, split into Consultative (voting) and Non-Consultative (non-voting) members.
Wider Treaty System: Includes CCAS 1972 (seal hunting), CCAMLR 1980 (marine life/krill conservation) and the Madrid Protocol 1991, which bans commercial mining.
India's role: Signed the Treaty in 1983 and got Consultative status the same year; ratified the Madrid Protocol in 1998. Stations: Dakshin Gangotri (1983, first, now decommissioned), Maitri (1989, operational), Bharati (2012, ~3,000 km east of Maitri), and a planned Maitri II (solar/wind powered, by 2032).
Institutions: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa (est. 1998, Ministry of Earth Sciences) is India's nodal polar-research agency; the Indian Antarctic Act, 2022 gives domestic legal effect to the Treaty, Madrid Protocol and CCAMLR; India hosted the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) at Kochi in 2024 on regulating Antarctic tourism.

65 yrssince Treaty in force

58Treaty Parties today

4Indian Antarctic stations (incl. planned)

India's Logistics Support Agreements (LSAs) Both

Why in news: India-Russia RELOS (Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement) became operational in January 2026; LSAs act as force multipliers for the Indian Navy while preserving India's strategic autonomy.

RELOS with Russia: Gives mutual access to military facilities, airfields and ports for refuelling and repairs, plus joint exercises, training and disaster relief; capped at up to 3,000 personnel, 5 warships and 10 aircraft (not permanent stationing); extends India's reach into the Arctic and Northern Sea Route; valid 5 years with auto-extension.
Wider network: India now has LSAs with 9 countries — the US, Russia, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and Singapore — plus defence cooperation with Oman, reflecting a "multi-aligned" strategy that engages both the US and Russia without joining either bloc.
Purpose: Extends the Navy's operational reach for anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden; counters China's "String of Pearls" strategy by giving India an "invisible footprint" at chokepoints such as the Mozambique Channel (via France) and Strait of Malacca (via Singapore).
Past use: A US logistics pact helped bring winter clothing to Indian troops during the 2020 Ladakh standoff.

9countries with LSAs

5 yrsRELOS validity

Challenges

Balancing contradictory expectations of the US (RELOS-like pacts, LEMOA, COMCASA) and Russia; risk of exposure under the US's CAATSA sanctions law.
LSAs carry no mutual-defence obligation (unlike NATO), risking friction if India declines to provide support.
Deepening Russia-China alignment could make Russian logistics nodes less reliable in an India-China scenario.

US-Iran Islamabad MoU Both

Why in news: The US and Iran signed a 14-point "Islamabad MoU" on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, mediated by Pakistan — halting "Operation Epic Fury" hostilities, lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and opening the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted trade.

Nature of the deal: An interim ceasefire framework, not a permanent treaty, with a 60-day negotiation window on nuclear proliferation, regional security and sanctions relief; a final deal is to be formalised via a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution.
Nuclear terms: Iran must downblend its highly enriched uranium (HEU) under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision and halt nuclear weapons development.
US concessions: Lifts its naval blockade, eases oil export restrictions, and proposes a $300 billion recovery package for Iran.
Shipping impact: The Strait of Hormuz reopened for toll-free transit during the 60-day window; global oil prices fell, with Brent crude down over 2%.
Implications for India: India imports about 85% of its crude oil, so lower prices ease its import bill and inflation; India supplies roughly one-sixth of the world's seafarers, so reduced conflict risk improves their safety; the deal revives Chabahar Port and INSTC connectivity, though IMEC slows due to Israel's isolation from the deal; Pakistan's mediator role may also strengthen the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline.

14-pointMoU

60 daysnegotiation window

$300bnproposed recovery package

85%India's crude oil import share

India at the G7 Summit 2026 Both

Why in news: India's Prime Minister attended the 52nd G7 Summit Outreach Session at Évian, France, as an invited partner country, under the theme "Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity."

India's message: The world faces a "trust deficit" rather than a resource deficit, aggravated by misuse of trade and technology; called for moving from a donor-recipient aid model to equal partnerships based on solidarity, rooted in the philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" and a "humanity first" approach; amplified the voice of the Global South and highlighted India-Africa cooperation.
India-Canada: Agreed to fast-track a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by end-2026, aiming to double trade by 2030 from $30.9 billion (2024); signed a new General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA); launched a "Raisina Americas" dialogue platform; a CAD 2.6 billion uranium supply deal (2027-2035) with Cameco.
India-UK: Reviewed the India-UK Vision 2035 and reaffirmed early implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
India-UAE: Raised concerns over Strait of Hormuz disruptions and invited the UAE President to the 18th BRICS Summit, which India is hosting in 2026.
Key G7 declarations: Reforms in global development finance including the IMF-World Bank 3-Pillar Approach; coordinated action against the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda; commitments on cancer research; welcomed the US-Iran nuclear agreement and a free & open Indo-Pacific while flagging concern over North Korea; action against migrant smuggling; a new G7+ Ports Network against maritime drug trafficking.

~43%of global GDP (G7)

~10%of world population (G7)

$30.9bnIndia-Canada trade (2024)

Background

G7 was formed in 1975 as the G6 (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, US) after the 1973 oil crisis; Canada joined in 1976; Russia joined in 1998 to form the G8 but was expelled in 2014 after annexing Crimea; the European Union also participates. It has no permanent secretariat and rotates its presidency annually.

Seafarer Safety in Conflict Zones Both

Why in news: Three Indian seafarers died aboard the merchant vessel MT Settebello after a US military strike in the Gulf of Oman, raising concerns over commercial-shipping safety in conflict zones.

Changing threats: Precision munitions and drone/loitering-munition strikes are replacing traditional piracy as the main danger; civilian vessels get caught in geopolitical blockades; sanctioned ships can lose insurance (Protection & Indemnity cover) and port access.
Legal gap: Global maritime law — the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) — does not effectively cover drone or missile strikes by state or non-state actors.
India's stakes: India has over 300,000 trained seafarers (2025), about 12% of the world's seafaring workforce (3rd largest, after the Philippines and China), with a target of 20% global share by 2030 under the Maritime India Vision 2030; roughly 18,000 Indian sailors operate in the Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman region.
Jurisdiction issue: Many Indian seafarers serve under foreign "flags of convenience" (e.g. Panama, Liberia, Palau), which limits India's legal jurisdiction if they are attacked; over 90% of India's trade by volume moves by sea.
Existing safeguards: UNCLOS 1982 (freedom of navigation), MLC 2006 ("Seafarers' Bill of Rights," ratified by India), IMO conventions (STCW, SOLAS, SAR), India's Merchant Shipping Act 1958, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), and the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram.

300,000+trained Indian seafarers

~12%of global seafaring workforce

~18,000in Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman

Way forward

Expand the Indian Navy's Operation Sankalp (surveillance/rescue in the Arabian Sea).
Issue risk-based, not blanket, safety advisories.
Legally protect seafarers who refuse deployment to war-risk zones, and set up an inter-ministerial crisis-response framework.
Push for binding international protocols protecting civilian mariners through the IMO and IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association).

India-Slovakia Comprehensive Partnership Both

Why in news: The Indian Prime Minister made the first-ever State Visit by an Indian PM to Slovakia since its 1993 independence, elevating ties to a Comprehensive Partnership.

Honour: The Indian PM was awarded Slovakia's highest civilian honour, the Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) — his 33rd global honour.
Key MoUs: Defence cooperation (joint production); labour migration (safe worker mobility, working toward a Social Security Agreement); digital technology and cybersecurity, including post-quantum cryptography; higher education mobility; and a Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism.
Diplomatic support: Slovakia backed India's push for permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) membership and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership.
Trade: Bilateral trade crossed the €1.28 billion mark (2024); India exports mobile phones, footwear and garments, and imports motor vehicles and machinery.
Space link: Slovakia's first satellite, SKcube, was launched aboard India's PSLV-XL rocket in 2017.

€1.28bnbilateral trade (2024)

33rdglobal honour for Indian PM

A New Phase in India-Nepal Relations Both

Why in news: Nepal's Prime Minister acknowledged that the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura boundary dispute is "not one-sided" and urged an amicable resolution.

Root of the dispute: The 1816 Treaty of Sugauli set the Kali (Mahakali) River as the border but did not clearly define its source; Nepal claims the river originates at Limpiyadhura (shown on its 2020 constitutional map and its NPR 100 banknote), while India says it originates near Kalapani in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, which India administers. The Lipulekh Pass is strategically important for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and trade with China.
Shift in approach: Nepal is moving from a "special relationship" toward sovereign, state-to-state equality, while pursuing pragmatic economic gains such as exporting 10,000 MW of hydropower to India.
Recent outcomes: A UPI-NPI cross-border digital payment linkage; a Bhashini-Kathmandu University MoU on voice-translation technology; an operational Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement (MLAA) against cross-border crime; India handed over 72 rebuilt health facilities and 12 heritage projects from post-2015-earthquake reconstruction.
Deep ties: India is Nepal's largest trading partner; about 32,000 Nepalese Gorkha soldiers serve in the Indian Army; annual joint exercise Surya Kiran; rail links (Jayanagar-Bardibas, Jogbani-Biratnagar); South Asia's first cross-border petroleum pipeline (Motihari-Amlekhgunj, 2019); a 2024 Power Trade Agreement for 10,000 MW of hydropower exports over 10 years; and river treaties on the Kosi (1954), Gandak (1959) and Karnali/Mahakali (1996).

1,751 kmopen border

~32,000Gorkha soldiers in Indian Army

10,000 MWhydropower export deal

Challenges

Nepal's growing engagement with China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Legacy friction from the 2015-16 Madhesi protests and alleged Indian blockade.
Disputes over the Kosi, Gandak and Mahakali rivers, including the pending 5,040 MW Pancheshwar Project.
The open 1,751 km border enables smuggling and illegal migration.

Way forward

Update the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship to reflect sovereign equality.
Complete the Arun-III hydro project and cross-border rail/pipeline links.
Use technical, depoliticised talks — not nationalist rhetoric — to resolve the boundary issue, and fast-track the Pancheshwar Project.

India-South Africa Technology Partnership & Africa Strategy Both

Why in news: In June 2026, India and South Africa upgraded their 31-year-old Science & Technology (S&T) partnership (dating to the 1995 S&T Agreement) from research cooperation to industrial co-production, deepened by a new Telangana-South Africa collaboration framework.

Core priorities: AI, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Advanced Manufacturing, expanding into Quantum Technology, Genomics and Cyber-Physical Systems; a shift from theoretical research to scalable commercialisation; cooperation also continues on renewable energy, hydrogen, vaccine development and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio-telescope project.
Telangana-South Africa framework: Builds on Hyderabad's strengths in IT, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), defence, aerospace and pharma to promote medical tourism, vaccine co-production and agro-processing investment.
Africa realignment: India has paused plans for a continent-wide Free Trade Agreement (FTA), instead prioritising deals with regional blocs, starting with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa).
Wider diplomacy in the same period: A Myanmar President visit to India, a Canada-India forum, a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting and India-Cyprus talks — reflecting India's active multi-region diplomacy in June 2026.

31 yrsof India-South Africa S&T ties

⚡ Quick Facts

India-US Critical Minerals Framework: India and the US signed a framework on "Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths," building on the Pax Silica and FORGE initiatives; China holds 49% of world rare earth reserves, produces 69% of rare earth minerals and controls 90% of their processing — India's response includes the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM, 2025), the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023, and overseas asset acquisition via KABIL.

India-UK Critical Minerals Observatory (GSCO): India and the UK formally launched the Global Supply Chain Observatory — a joint initiative of TEXMiN (DST), IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and the University of Cambridge — to create a data-driven platform monitoring global critical mineral supply chains, supporting the NCMM.

India-Myanmar Relations: The Indian PM and Myanmar's President reviewed ties including AI and Space; both welcomed growth of the Rupee-Kyat trade settlement mechanism (2024); connectivity continues via the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Project, alongside security concerns over the 1,643 km border and Golden Triangle smuggling.

India-Oman CEPA: India-Oman's Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into force — Oman gives zero-duty access to 99.38% of Indian exports by value and 100% FDI in major services; India cuts tariffs on 77.79% of tariff lines (94.81% of import value); Oman is India's 2nd-largest Gulf trading partner (~$11bn trade) with logistics hubs at Sohar, Duqm and Salalah.

India-Venezuela Relations: The Indian PM held talks with Venezuela's Acting President; bilateral trade stood at $678.94 million (FY 2025-26); Venezuela became India's 3rd-largest oil supplier in May 2026; spiritual organisations like Sathya Sai Organization, Brahma Kumaris and Radha Soami Satsang have centres there.

CPEC 2.0: China and Pakistan agreed to accelerate the upgraded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0) and develop Gwadar Port; CPEC is the flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (2015), linking Gwadar to Kashgar, Xinjiang; India opposes it as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Global Alliance for Human Rights (GHRA): Launched by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) as a three-year effort ahead of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' (adopted 1948) 80th anniversary on 10 December 2028; built around four pathways — Rights at Home, Rights in Action, Rights in Mind, and Rights for the Future.

Global Peace Index (GPI) 2026: India ranked 127th among 163 countries; published by the Institute for Economics & Peace on 23 indicators across 3 domains; Iceland topped the index for the 19th consecutive year, while Russia ranked last.

Areas in News: Padma Barrage — Bangladesh approved building this barrage on the Padma (Ganga) River in Rajbari District ahead of the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty's expiry in December 2026. Lipulekh Pass — India-China border trade through this Uttarakhand pass, near the India-Nepal-China trijunction and on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route, is set to resume after 6 years.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

What does Quad stand for and who are its members?TAP

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — India, US, Japan, Australia.

Which country holds the BRICS Presidency in 2026?TAP

India.

When and where was the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 adopted?TAP

14 June 2026, in Nice, France.

What are IMEC's two key corridors?TAP

East Corridor (India-Gulf) and North Corridor (Gulf-Europe).

When did the Antarctic Treaty enter into force?TAP

23 June 1961.

What does RELOS stand for and with which country?TAP

Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement — with Russia, operationalised January 2026.

What is the "Islamabad MoU" about?TAP

A 14-point US-Iran ceasefire deal, mediated by Pakistan, halting hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Where was the 2026 G7 Summit held?TAP

Évian, France.

What share of the world's seafaring workforce does India supply?TAP

About 12% — the 3rd largest, after the Philippines and China.

What treaty underlies the India-Nepal boundary dispute?TAP

The 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, over the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura area.

🧠 Quick Quiz

What is the size of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework?

Answer: $20 billion, to coordinate investment in mining, processing and recycling.

What was the theme of the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting held in Indore?

Answer: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."

Name the four pillars of the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030.

Answer: Trusted AI; Enhanced Academic Mobility; Technological Sovereignty and Industry-Academia Linkages; and AI/Research-based solutions for Global Health.

By how much could IMEC cut India's transportation time and logistics costs?

Answer: Transportation time by about 40% and logistics costs by about 30%.

How many Parties does the Antarctic Treaty have today, and how many were original signatories in 1959?

Answer: 58 Parties today; 12 original signatories.

With how many countries does India have Logistics Support Agreements (LSAs)?

Answer: 9 countries — US, Russia, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and Singapore — plus defence cooperation with Oman.

What nuclear-related step must Iran take under the Islamabad MoU?

Answer: Downblend its highly enriched uranium (HEU) under IAEA supervision.

What civilian honour did the Indian PM receive during his Slovakia visit?

Answer: The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) — his 33rd global honour.

Roughly how far is India's Bharati Antarctic station from Maitri station?

Answer: About 3,000 km east of Maitri.

What was India's rank in the Global Peace Index 2026?

Answer: 127th out of 163 countries.

💰

Economy

India's middle class, NPA cleanup, SEZs, a statistical overhaul, and RBI's record surplus — June 2026's densest subject.

India's Middle Class Both

Why in news: India's middle class is expanding rapidly on the back of rising incomes, urbanization, and overall economic growth.

World Bank income bands (FY26, Gross National Income/GNI per capita): Low income ≤$1,135; Lower-middle $1,136–$4,495; Upper-middle $4,496–$13,935; High income >$13,935. India's GNI per capita is ~$2,600, still in the lower-middle band.
Consumption engine: World Economic Forum (WEF) projects the middle class and affluent consumers will drive 93% of all spending by 2036, up from 80% in 2026.
GDP driver: Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) is projected to grow 7% and hit 61.5% of GDP — the highest share since FY12 (2011-12).
Beyond the metros: 93% of urban consumption growth is expected to come from outside India's top 5 cities (Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai).
Debt burden: household debt rose to 45.5% of GDP by March 2026 (RBI), driven mainly by non-housing retail loans.
Inequality: the richest 10% hold ~65% of India's total wealth, and the top 1% alone control ~40% (World Inequality Report 2026).
Reform measures: Budget 2025-26 raised the zero-tax threshold to ₹12 lakh (₹12.75 lakh for salaried taxpayers); the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) has strengthened retirement security since 2025; PM MUDRA Yojana has disbursed 57+ crore loans worth ₹40.07 lakh crore by March 2026; the SWAMIH affordable-housing fund has completed 58,000+ homes across 146 projects.
Target: India aims to cross the $4,000 per-capita mark by 2030 to graduate to Upper-Middle-Income status, alongside China and Indonesia.

45.5%household debt/GDP

61.5%PFCE share of GDP

93%of spending by 2036 (WEF)

Challenges

Lower middle-income trap — needs to cross the ~$4,500 GNI threshold.
Rising household debt and income inequality.
NITI Aayog warns India's tech sector could lose 1.5 million jobs to Artificial Intelligence (AI) by 2031.
Patriarchy restricts women's workforce participation, limiting household earning potential.
Health/education cost inflation runs above headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation; social-security schemes (EPFO, NPS, Ayushman Bharat) cover the organised bottom and salaried top but thin out in the middle.

Way forward

Strengthen the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, Make in India, and the National Manufacturing Mission to escape the lower middle-income trap.
Future-proof the workforce via the India AI Mission.
Use RBI's digital-lending regulation to curb household debt.
Expand affordable childcare, safe transport, and flexible work to boost women's labour-force participation.
Maintain food/fuel price stability through supply-chain reforms and prudent monetary policy.

Government Securities (G-Sec) Reforms Both

Why in news: The Finance Ministry introduced reforms to boost Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) participation in Government Securities (G-Secs).

Key reforms: tax exemptions on interest income, Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) and Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG); expanded coverage under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) — an open channel letting foreign investors buy select G-Secs without the restrictions of the General Route.
Equity cap raised: the overall investment limit for individual Persons Resident Outside India (PROIs) in equity of listed Indian companies was raised from 10% to 24%.
FPI vs FDI: Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) is passive investment in stocks/bonds/G-Secs with no management role; Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) involves direct participation in management and is long-term. In 2014, SEBI merged the Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) and Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) categories into FPI.
What is a G-Sec: a tradeable debt instrument issued by the Centre or States, virtually risk-free ("gilt-edged"), issued via RBI auctions on the E-Kuber platform (RBI's Core Banking Solution).
Types: Treasury Bills (T-bills, under 1 year, 91/182/364-day zero-coupon); Cash Management Bills (CMBs, under 91 days, introduced 2010); Dated Securities (1–40 years, fixed/floating coupon); State Development Loans (SDLs, states' market borrowings).
Advantages: sovereign-guaranteed returns, high liquidity, usable as repo-market collateral, and they satisfy the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) for banks and provident funds.
Risks: Market risk (prices fall when interest rates rise), Reinvestment risk (coupons reinvested at lower rates), Liquidity risk (hard to sell quickly at fair price).
Why it matters: RBI uses G-Secs for Open Market Operations (OMOs) to manage money supply; the reforms aim to deepen bond markets and support wider inclusion of Indian bonds in global indices.

24%new PROI equity cap

91/182/364-dayT-bill tenors

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016 — 10 Years Both

Why in news: The IBC completes 10 years of implementation, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified the IBC Amendment Act, 2026.

Genesis: enacted on recommendations of the Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee (BLRC), chaired by Dr T.K. Viswanathan; replaced a fragmented framework — Sick Industrial Companies Act (SICA) 1985, SARFAESI 2002, Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy (RDB) Act 1993 — with one unified, time-bound, creditor-in-control law.
Four pillars: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI, the regulator); Insolvency Professionals (IPs); Information Utilities (IUs, store verified default data); Adjudicating Authority — National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for companies/LLPs, Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) for individuals/partnerships.
Mechanism: the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) is run by a Committee of Creditors (CoC); Pre-Packaged Insolvency Resolution Process (PPIRP) offers a 120-day fast track for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Results (till March 2026): creditors have recovered ~₹4.32 lakh crore, at ~167% of estimated liquidation value; Gross Non-Performing Asset (NPA) ratio of banks fell to a 12-year low of 2.1% (Sept 2025) from a peak of 11.8% (2017); ~58% of companies were rescued rather than liquidated.
Deterrence effect: over 30,000 cases worth ~₹14 lakh crore were settled at the pre-admission stage — just the threat of losing control of the company pushed promoters to pay up.
Speed and gaps: average resolution time fell from 6–8 years to ~2 years, though delays still stretch to 744 days as of March 2026 against the 330-day statutory mandate; S&P Global upgraded India's insolvency framework from 'Group C' to 'Group B'.
IBC (Amendment) Act, 2026: introduces the Creditor-Initiated Insolvency Resolution Process (CIIRP), an out-of-court route needing 51%+ creditor consent; NCLT must admit applications within 14 days of default; liquidation must complete within 180 days (extendable by 90); reinforces the "Clean Slate Principle" (approved resolution plans wipe out past claims) and clarifies government dues rank below secured creditors.

₹4.32L crrecovered by creditors

167%of liquidation value recovered

2.1%Gross NPA ratio (from 11.8%)

744 daysavg resolution time (vs 330-day mandate)

Challenges

High haircuts — liquidation value has fallen by about 30%.
NCLT/NCLAT capacity strain and frequent litigation delays.
Conflict between Enforcement Directorate asset-attachment powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and IBC's "clean slate" principle, which deters bidders.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Fund envisaged in the original Code remains unoperationalised.

Way forward

Expand NCLT/NCLAT benches and set up dedicated fast-track tribunals for IBC matters.
Shift asset valuation from liquidation value to enterprise value to reduce haircuts.
Accelerate the Integrated Technology Platform (iPIE) for centralized case management.
Operationalise individual insolvency to cover partnerships and proprietorships.
Strengthen Resolution Professional (RP) accountability and CoC oversight.

Background

Landmark judgments shaping IBC: Swiss Ribbons v Union of India (2019) held that IBC's aim is revival, not just recovery; Committee of Creditors of Essar Steel v Satish Kumar Gupta (2019) upheld the CoC's "commercial wisdom" as supreme; Vidarbha Industries Power v Axis Bank (2022) gave NCLT discretion to reject even a valid insolvency application for good reason.

Mains practice question"The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 has fundamentally transformed India's credit culture." Examine.

Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) Both

Why in news: The Supreme Court flagged an alleged nexus between banks, ARCs, and borrowers, stressing that public money lent out cannot go unrecovered due to weak recovery efforts.

What ARCs do: specialised financial institutions that buy and manage banks' Non-Performing Assets (NPAs); the concept originated from the Narsimham Committee II (1998); their legal backbone is the SARFAESI Act, 2002 (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act).
Scale: 27 ARCs are registered with RBI (2026); ARCIL, incorporated in 2002, was India's first.
NARCL: the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited, a government-backed "bad bank" announced in the 2021-22 Budget, absorbs large consortium-funded NPAs from public sector banks; Canara Bank is its sponsor.
Recovery techniques (SARFAESI, Section 9): debt restructuring/rescheduling, One-Time Settlements (OTS), debt-to-equity conversion, management takeover, and security enforcement (seizing/selling collateral without court intervention).
How deals work: ARCs pay banks partly through Security Receipts (SRs), redeemable only when the ARC actually recovers the loan; they charge a management fee of 1.5–2% of asset value annually.
Regulatory norms (RBI ARC Directions, 2025): minimum Net Owned Fund (NOF) of ₹300 crore; Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 15% of risk-weighted assets; MD/CEO age cap of 70 with a maximum 15-year tenure.
Supreme Court's concern: banks were selling loan liabilities to ARCs at steep discounts and letting borrowers settle for a fraction of dues — an "over-clever device" using taxpayers' money — prompting calls to reconsider the ARC statutory framework.
Performance gap: Indian lenders recover only ~15–20% of acquisition value via ARCs, versus 30–40% in developed distressed-asset markets; ~80% of ARC recoveries come from enforcement/liquidation rather than genuine business revival.

27ARCs registered with RBI

₹300 crminimum Net Owned Fund

15-20%India's recovery rate vs 30-40% abroad

Challenges

Overlapping roles — an ARC can be fiduciary manager, secured creditor, and bidding resolution applicant at once, creating conflicts of interest.
Locked capital — ARCs must retain a minimum 15% of issued Security Receipts as "skin in the game."
Prolonged litigation before Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) and High Courts.
Regulatory gap — unlike IBC, SARFAESI has no bar on defaulting promoters buying back their own assets at a discount.

Way forward

Sudarshan Sen Committee (2021): let ARCs sponsor SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) to raise capital from high-net-worth individuals and pension funds.
Allow early acquisition of Special Mention Accounts (SMA-0/1/2) to catch distress sooner.
Broaden ARC scope to acquire assets from FPIs, all NBFCs, and retail investors.
Share centralised NPA lists with ARCs under confidentiality agreements.

Shipping Sector in India Both

Why in news: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched the Logistics Port Performance Index (LPPI) for FY2024-25 along with four digital initiatives for seafarers.

LPPI: developed under the Sagar Aankalan framework to benchmark ports across dry bulk, liquid bulk, and container cargo; top performers were Paradip Port (dry bulk), Sikka Port (liquid bulk), and Mundra Port (container cargo, private).
Four digital tools (Directorate General of Shipping): e-Navik (24x7 grievance redressal for seafarers); Digital Ship Registration on the e-Samudra platform; a Medical Practitioner Module curbing fraudulent seafarer certification; and a Unified Ship Recycling Portal — owners recycling at Hong Kong Convention (HKC)-compliant Indian yards get a credit note worth 40% of scrap value, usable for new shipbuilding.
Scale: 11,099 km coastline; 12 major and 200+ minor ports handle 95% of India's trade volume and 70% of trade value.
Global standing: India's rank in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (International Shipments) improved from 44th to 22nd; 7 Indian ports feature among the world's top 100 (World Bank Container Port Performance Index 2024).
Ship recycling leader: world's largest ship-recycling nation, with its global share rising from 30.1% (2024) to 35.4% (2025); the Alang-Sosiya yard (Gujarat) alone handles ~98% of India's and about a third of the world's ship recycling.
Weak spots: shipbuilding ranks only ~18th globally (~0.06% market share, vs 90%+ for China-Korea-Japan combined); India pays an estimated USD 75–80 billion a year in freight to foreign carriers, since Indian-owned ships carry just 4.11% of its overseas trade by tonnage.
Big-ticket schemes: Maritime Development Fund (₹25,000 crore corpus); Shipbuilding Development Scheme (₹19,989 crore, targeting 4.5 million Gross Tonnage/GT annual capacity via 3 greenfield clusters in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu); Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (₹24,736 crore outlay).
Targets: Maritime India Vision 2030 / Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 aim for a top-10 global shipbuilding rank by 2030 and top-5 by 2047; the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme (Budget 2026-27) aims to raise coastal shipping's modal share from 6% to 12% by 2047.

11,099 kmcoastline

35.4%share of world ship recycling

22ndrank in Logistics Performance Index

Way forward

Strategic partnerships with advanced shipyards to absorb technology and train workforce.
Adopt green/digital tech — energy-efficient designs, shore power, IoT, automation.
Operationalise the Maritime Development Fund at scale and extend infrastructure-status lending benefits.
Push for more Alang yards to gain EU Ship Recycling Regulation recognition.

A Decade of Tourism-Led Growth Both

Why in news: The Ministry of Tourism and NITI Aayog launched 'Unlocking Growth in Tourism and Hospitality Sector' (2026) to simplify regulations and attract investment.

Scale: India is the world's 8th-largest tourism economy (US$231.6 billion), projected to become 4th-largest within a decade (World Travel & Tourism Council); ranked 39th of 119 countries in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index (2024).
Contribution: tourism contributed ₹15.73 lakh crore (5.22% of GDP) and supported 13.34% of employment (84+ million jobs) in 2023-24.
Recovery: by August 2025, India logged 56 lakh Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and 303.59 crore Domestic Tourist Visits.
2047 vision: target of 100 million inbound tourists and a US$3 trillion tourism economy.
Segments promoted: Spiritual/Pilgrimage (Vaishno Devi, Golden Temple), Medical & Wellness (Yoga/Ayurveda), Adventure (120+ new Himalayan peaks opened), Heritage & Cultural, Eco & Wildlife, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions — e.g. Bharat Mandapam), and niche segments like Wedding and Cruise tourism.
Why it matters: highly employment-intensive, generating jobs across the skill spectrum — from entry-level hospitality/transport roles to specialised management and digital-services roles.
Reforms proposed: a 90-day multiple-entry Tourist Visa-on-Arrival, simplified visa categories, digital/biometric authorisation; self-declaration for hotel classification and an Entity Locker for document verification; a new National Institute of Hospitality (Budget 2026-27) and upskilling of 10,000 tourist guides.
Sustainability & data: expansion of "Travel for LiFE" and green destination models (e.g. Mamallapuram); a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid for data-driven tourism governance.

US$231.6bntourism economy (8th largest)

5.22%share of GDP

84M+jobs supported

Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Policy Both

Why in news: The government notified two new SEZs in Puducherry — including India's first SEZ developed by an Urban Local Body — amid a broader "SEZ 2.0" policy overhaul.

What is an SEZ: a duty-free enclave treated as foreign territory for customs/trade purposes while remaining within India; the rest of the country is called the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA).
History: India set up Asia's first Export Processing Zone at Kandla in 1965; the SEZ policy was announced in 2000 and formalised via the SEZ Act, 2005 and SEZ Rules, 2006.
Rebranding push: the Baba Kalyani Committee (2018) proposed renaming SEZs as "Employment and Economic Enclaves" to shift focus from exports to job creation; SEZ Rules were amended in 2025 to ease land norms for semiconductor SEZs (e.g. Sanand, Dharwad); a 17-member committee is now drafting an "SEZ 2.0" policy aligned with World Trade Organization (WTO) norms.
Scale (2025): 368 notified SEZs, ~₹8 lakh crore in investment, exports crossing ₹11.70 lakh crore (up to Dec 2025, up 32% year-on-year), and 31.73 lakh+ direct-plus-indirect jobs.
New Puducherry SEZs: a multi-sector SEZ by PIPDIC (Puducherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation) at Karasur village — 8.62 hectares, ₹725 crore proposed investment, 3,500 expected jobs; and an IT/ITES SEZ developed by Oulgaret Municipality at Thattanchavady village — the first SEZ in India developed by an Urban Local Body (ULB).
Incentives: duty-free operations, tax exemptions, and single-window clearance for SEZ units.

368notified SEZs

₹11.70L crSEZ exports

31.73L+jobs supported

India's Statistical Database Overhaul Both

Why in news: The government overhauled core statistical databases (GDP, industrial output, inflation) for better accuracy, partly in response to an IMF 'C' grade warning (late 2025) on the quality of India's national accounts data.

GDP: base year reset from 2011-12 to 2022-23; adopts a new 'Double Deflator' method for agriculture/manufacturing, and now integrates Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data.
CPI (Consumer Price Index): base year shifted to 2024 using the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24; the basket expanded from 299 to 358 items — adding rural house rent, online streaming, and CNG/PNG, while dropping outdated items like tape recorders.
IIP (Index of Industrial Production): base year revised from 2011-12 to 2022-23 — the 10th such revision since IIP was first compiled in 1937 — under the Technical Advisory Committee for base year revision (TAC-IIP); the item basket expanded from 839 to 1,042 products (463 item groups, up from 407) and now covers Gas Supply, Water Supply, Sewerage & Waste Management, splitting electricity into renewable vs non-renewable. April 2026 IIP growth slowed to 4.9% (from 5.8% a year earlier) — manufacturing (76% weight) grew 6.2% while mining contracted over 5%.
WPI (Wholesale Price Index): base year updated to 2022-23 by the Office of the Economic Adviser under DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade); item count rose from 697 to 957; Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas moved from "Primary Articles" to "Fuel and Power"; weights are now derived using Gross Value of Output (GVO) instead of the old Net Traded Value method.
New Producer Price Index (PPI): launched 15 June 2026, planned to eventually replace WPI within five years; it measures prices producers receive (Basic Price, excluding taxes/margins) rather than what consumers pay. Three parts: Output PPI (factory-gate prices), Input PPI (raw-material costs, piloted in manufacturing), and Service PPI (covers 7 services — Banking, Securities Transaction, Insurance, Pension Fund Management, Railways, Passenger Air, Telecom) — the first time services (over 50% of GDP) are captured in a wholesale-style index.
Why PPI matters: removes the "tax illusion" (WPI included indirect taxes, inflating readings after tax hikes) and the imported-inflation bias, aligning India with the US/UK/EU standard.
District Domestic Product (DDP): the National Statistics Office (NSO) issued new guidelines (base year 2022-23) for compiling this district-level GDP counterpart, useful for identifying backward regions and local planning.

2022-23 / 2024new base years (GDP/IIP/WPI / CPI)

1,042items in new IIP basket

957items in new WPI basket

Challenges

The informal sector (~80% of India's workforce) is hard to track and may inflate formal-sector-based GDP estimates.
The draft ISI (Indian Statistical Institute) Bill, 2025 raised concerns about institutional autonomy/political interference.
Delays to Census 2027 (India's first digital census) affect the quality of sampling frames.
India's poverty line still uses the outdated Tendulkar Committee (2011-12) methodology.

Way forward

Complete Census 2027 on time.
Grant the National Statistical Commission (NSC) statutory independence, as recommended by the C. Rangarajan Commission (2000).
Standardise District Domestic Product (DDP) data across states.
Expand open, anonymised microdata portals for researchers.

Mains practice question"Reliable statistics are the foundation of effective economic governance." Examine in the context of India's recent statistical database overhaul.

RBI's Record Surplus Transfer Both

Why in news: RBI approved a record ₹2.87 lakh crore surplus transfer to the government for FY26 (up from ₹2.11 lakh crore), disclosed in its Annual Report 2025-26 — reviving debate on central bank independence and fiscal federalism.

Trend: pre-2019 transfers were just ₹30,000–65,000 crore; after the 2019 Economic Capital Framework (Bimal Jalan Committee), they jumped to ₹2.11 lakh crore (FY24) and now a record ₹2.87 lakh crore (FY26).
Source: the surplus comes mainly from RBI's income on managing foreign exchange reserves and government securities; RBI's balance sheet expanded 20.6% to ₹91.97 lakh crore (March 2026).
Benefits: aids fiscal consolidation, reduces government borrowing (lowering bond yields), and helps protect capital expenditure during slowdowns.
Federalism concern: the surplus is Central (non-shareable) revenue, bypassing the tax-devolution pool that states normally get a share of — a "federal blind spot," since states carry 60%+ of welfare spending.
Independence concern: large recurring transfers may pressure RBI to chase high returns over monetary stability, and could deplete its Contingency Risk Buffer needed for future shocks.
Backdrop, from the same Annual Report 2025-26: India's real GDP grew 7.3% in 2025-26 (revised up from 6.5%); the Gross Fiscal Deficit (GFD) fell to 4.4% of GDP (from 4.8%), targeted at 4.3% for 2026-27; the Centre's debt-to-GDP ratio is budgeted to fall to 55.6% in 2026-27; the 16th Finance Commission retained states' share of the divisible tax pool at 41%.

₹2.87L crFY26 surplus transfer

₹91.97L crRBI balance sheet size

41%states' share of divisible tax pool

Way forward

Earmark the surplus for capital spending/debt repayment, not routine subsidies.
Have future Finance Commissions factor in such non-tax revenue while deciding devolution.
Keep RBI's core price-stability mandate separate from revenue considerations.
Ensure transparent reporting of how the transferred surplus is used.

A Decade of Integrated Infrastructure Development Both

Why in news: Over the past decade India shifted to large-scale, integrated infrastructure development across transport, housing, water, energy and digital networks — driven by PM GatiShakti, PRAGATI, and the National Logistics Policy.

Railways: budget support rose from ₹32,000 crore (2014-15) to ₹2.78 lakh crore (2026-27); electrification rose from 20% to 99.6%; 162 Vande Bharat and 60 Amrit Bharat trains are now running; the Kavach automatic train-protection system cut accidents from 135 (2014-15) to 16 (2025-26).
Roads: National Highways grew from 91,287 km (2014) to 1,46,572 km (2026); India's total road network (63.73 lakh km) is the world's 2nd-largest.
Aviation: operational airports rose from 74 (2014) to 165 (2026); the UDAN regional-connectivity scheme covers 665 routes and has benefited 1.64 crore+ passengers.
Metro rail: grew from 248 km (2014) to 1,155 km (2026) across 26 cities — the world's 3rd-largest metro network; Kolkata got India's first underwater metro tunnel (under the Hooghly).
Ports & waterways: port capacity nearly doubled (873 to 1,726 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum); National Waterways grew from 5 to 111 (20,187 km).
Energy: installed power capacity rose from 248 GW (2014) to 532.74 GW (2026); 40% of capacity is now non-fossil-fuel, a decade ahead of India's COP21 target; power shortages fell from 4.2% to 0.03%.
Housing: PMAY-Urban completed ~98.10 lakh houses (96% registered in women's names); PMAY-Gramin completed ~3.06 crore rural houses.
Digital: internet connections rose from 25.15 crore (2014) to 100.29 crore (2025); 5G now covers 85% of the population; UPI (Unified Payments Interface) enabled ₹29.53 lakh crore in real-time payments.

532.74 GWinstalled power capacity

1,46,572 kmNational Highways

100.29 crinternet connections

Mains practice questionHow have India's integrated infrastructure initiatives over the past decade contributed to inclusive development, regional competitiveness, and Viksit Bharat 2047?

114th International Labour Conference (ILC) 2026 Both

Why in news: At the 114th session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, member states adopted ILO Convention No. 193 — the first global treaty on gig-work labour standards — while India's delegation showcased its own labour reforms, facing scrutiny over weak gig/informal-worker protections.

Convention No. 193 ("Decent Work in the Platform Economy"): takes effect 12 months after at least two member states ratify it; covers all formal/informal, online and location-based platform workers (e.g. delivery, taxi); requires correct worker classification and at least minimum wage where a worker is deemed an employee; guarantees freedom of association, non-discrimination, safety, and the right to refuse dangerous tasks; mandates algorithmic transparency, letting workers seek human review of decisions like account deactivation.
India's gig context: the gig workforce is projected to grow from 77 lakh (2020-21) to 2.35 crore (2029-30); under the Code on Social Security, 2020, a gig worker is one who works outside a traditional employer-employee relationship; aggregators must contribute 1–2% of annual turnover to a Social Security Fund; workers can register on the e-Shram portal for portable benefits.
India's Labour Codes: 29 old central labour laws were consolidated into 4 codes — Code on Wages 2019, Industrial Relations Code 2020, Code on Social Security 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code 2020.
Progress cited by India: youth employability up from 34% (2014) to 56%+ (2025); unemployment down from 6% (2017) to 3.1% (2025); women's workforce participation up from 22% to 38.8%; social protection coverage up from 19% (2015) to 64.3% (2025, ~1 billion people per ILO).
Criticism: gig/platform workers remain in a "legal grey zone" — named in the Social Security Code but not fully recognised as "employees," missing out on Industrial Relations Code and OSH Code protections; the layoff-permission threshold rose from 100 to 300 workers, reducing job security at MSMEs; trade-union recognition now needs 51%+ worker support and strikes need 60-day notice, seen as diluting collective bargaining; real wages are eroding as minimum wage is revised only every 5 years while Dearness Allowance has lagged ~25% CPI-industrial-worker inflation (2021–2026).
About ILO: founded 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles; became the UN's first specialized agency in 1946; has 187 members; India has sat on the ILO Governing Body since 1922 and has ratified 6 of 8 core ILO conventions (not yet Nos. 87 and 98, on freedom of association and collective bargaining).

2.35 crgig workforce by 2029-30

29→4labour laws consolidated into Codes

64.3%social protection coverage

Way forward

Legally define a "Dependent Contractor"/"Platform Worker" category with guaranteed minimum pay (EU model).
Adopt Rajasthan's Platform-Based Gig Workers Act 2023 model — a welfare board funded by a welfare cess.
Link the e-Shram portal to actual welfare delivery (ration card, health, pension schemes).

Mains practice questionCritically examine whether the four Labour Codes strike an appropriate balance between labour market flexibility and workers' rights.

RBI Holds Repo Rate, Lowers Growth Forecast Both

Why in news: In June 2026, RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held the repo rate at 5.25%, cut its FY27 GDP growth forecast to 6.6% (from 6.9%), and raised its inflation forecast to 5.1%.

Stance: the policy repo rate was held at 5.25%; the monetary stance remains "Neutral" (data-dependent, no committed direction).
Risks flagged: high crude oil prices (~USD 110/barrel in April–May 2026); a weak monsoon/emerging El Niño threat to farm output; possible second-round inflation from food/energy price spikes.
Measures to attract foreign capital and support the rupee: waived Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax and interest tax for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) on government bonds, retroactive from 1 April 2026; expanded the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) for long-tenure government bonds; cut the mandatory export-earnings repatriation window from 15 to 9 months.
Context from RBI's FY26 Annual Report: a cumulative 100 basis point (bps) repo-rate cut through 2025-26 brought the rate to 5.25% (stance moved neutral → accommodative → back to neutral over the year); the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) was cut 100 bps to 3.0%, injecting ~₹2.5 lakh crore of durable liquidity; weighted average lending rates on fresh loans fell 95 bps, passing on most of the rate cuts.
Wider outlook: RBI projects India's real GDP growth at 6.9% for 2026-27 with CPI inflation at 4.6%; the government retained its 4% (±2%) inflation target until 31 March 2031; the IMF projects global growth to slow to 3.1% in 2026, dragged down by the West Asia conflict.

5.25%repo rate (held)

6.6%FY27 GDP forecast (cut)

5.1%inflation forecast (raised)

Remittances Anchoring India's External Balances Both

Why in news: Economists flagged remittances (money sent home by overseas workers) as the "unsung hero" of India's macro-stability amid volatile Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) flows and a widening trade deficit.

Scale: India has been the world's top remittance recipient since 2008; inflows reached USD 135 billion in 2024-25 — comfortably ahead of India's gross Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Cushioning the trade gap: India's merchandise trade deficit ballooned from ~USD 6 billion (2000-01) to USD 284 billion (2024-25); remittances alone covered 47.5% of the 2024-25 trade deficit, and, on average since mid-2013, have financed more than the entire deficit.
Where they sit in the Balance of Payments (BoP): remittances are booked as private/personal transfers under Net Secondary Income in the Current Account's "Invisibles."
Currency stabiliser: unlike FPI ("hot money" that can flee suddenly), remittances are a steady, non-debt-creating inflow, creating persistent rupee demand and cushioning it against FPI-driven volatility.
Regulatory framework: governed by the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999; under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), resident Indians can remit up to USD 250,000/year; inbound remittances flow via NRE (Non-Resident External), NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary), and FCNR (Foreign Currency Non-Resident) accounts.
Structural shift (RBI survey, 2025, covering 2016-17 to 2023-24): advanced economies (US, UK, Singapore, Canada, Australia) now supply over 50% of remittances; the US has overtaken the UAE as the single largest source (share up from 22.9% to 27.7%), while the combined Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) share slipped to 38% (UAE alone down from 26.9% to 19.2%) — reflecting a shift from Gulf blue-collar labour to skilled OECD professionals.
Risks: rising dependence on advanced economies exposes India to their immigration/visa policy shifts and AI-driven automation of white-collar jobs; GCC nationalization drives threaten blue-collar remittances; any stagnation could widen the Current Account Deficit (CAD) and pressure the rupee.

US$135bnremittances (2024-25)

47.5%of trade deficit covered

27.7%US share (largest source)

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) Both

Why in news: Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) flagged serious performance concerns in PMKVY, India's flagship skilling scheme.

Basics: launched 2015 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE); implemented via the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a Public-Private Partnership (51% private, 49% government); funding is split 75% Centre (via NSDC) to 25% States.
Four phases: PMKVY 1.0 (2015-16, standardized short-term training); 2.0 (2016-20, expanded/state-led); 3.0 (2020-22, decentralised planning); 4.0 (2022-present, focused on AI, cybersecurity, green-energy skills).
Certification gap: only 1.10 crore candidates were certified against a target of 1.32 crore.
Weak outcomes: only 41% of trainees were placed in jobs; training skewed toward low-demand sectors (apparel, electronics, retail) rather than actual labour-market needs.
Financial mismanagement: of the ₹14,449 crore total outlay across three phases, only ₹10,194 crore was released and just ₹9,261 crore utilised.
Data integrity gaps: of 95.90 lakh participants analysed, 90.66 lakh had invalid/missing bank details, and 12,000+ bank accounts were reused across 52,000+ candidates.
Monitoring failures: the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) was never implemented for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component; documentation from training agencies was found unreliable.

41%placement rate

₹9,261 crutilised of ₹14,449 cr outlay

1.10 of 1.32 crcandidates certified vs target

Way forward

Align training with actual sector/state skill gaps and labour-market demand.
Fast-track a National Skill Development Plan (NSDP).
Integrate UDISE (school) data to verify beneficiary eligibility.
Strengthen IT governance and post-training assessment audits.

⚡ Quick Facts

CAG State Finances 2024-25: combined state public debt ₹75.52 lakh crore (23.27% of Gross State Domestic Product/GSDP); 18 of 28 states breached the 15th Finance Commission's 3%-of-GSDP fiscal deficit benchmark in FY25.

States' capex squeeze: revenue expenditure was 83.41% of total state spending vs just 16.59% capital expenditure (FY25); states' share of Union tax devolution rose from 27.73% (2015-16) to 31.76%.

Global Economic Prospects 2026 (World Bank): global growth seen slowing from 2.9% (2025) to 2.5% (2026) — the weakest since COVID-19 — due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz risk; South Asia stays fastest-growing but eases from 7.0% to 6.3%.

Global Unicorn Index 2026 (Hurun): India slipped to 4th place with 61 unicorns; AI unicorns make up 36% of the record $8 trillion global unicorn value; Bengaluru (25) and Mumbai (13) lead India's unicorn hubs; top Indian unicorns are Zerodha, Zepto, Razorpay.

SARTHAK-PDS: merges two schemes to modernise the Public Distribution System (PDS); ₹25,530 crore outlay through 2030-31, covering 81.35 crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries.

Smart Warehousing System: world's largest AI/IoT deployment in public foodgrain warehousing — rolled out across 215 Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) godowns plus 150 more by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), using FASTag/ANPR gate automation and AI-based bag counting.

Mission Senehjori: aims to build a luxury value chain around Assam's Muga silk — the world's only naturally golden silk and India's first GI-tagged silk (2007); Assam produces 90% of the world's Muga silk.

Queen Pineapple Mission: 3-year roadmap (Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region/MDoNER + Tripura) to promote GI-tagged Queen Pineapple; pineapple was also declared Tripura's State Fruit.

National Seed Reserve (NSR): a 1.74 lakh-quintal buffer stock of certified/foundation seeds for crisis years, produced via the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) portal.

Community Seed Banks (CSBs): the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issued standard IS 20201:2026 for these community-run repositories that conserve and distribute local/indigenous seed varieties.

SOFIA 2026 (Food and Agriculture Organization/FAO): global fish/aquaculture production hit a record 235 million tonnes (2024); India produced 9% of the global total (2nd after China) and ranks 1st in inland capture fisheries.

FCNR(B) Deposits: RBI now allows banks to lend against Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) term deposits, which run 1-5 years and are fully repatriable for NRIs/OCIs.

REITs & InvITs: RBI allowed banks to lend directly to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) — pooled vehicles letting investors earn from real estate/infrastructure without owning assets directly.

Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instrument: companies can now meet Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations by investing in this SEBI-regulated, no-return Social Stock Exchange instrument, capped at 10% of annual CSR spend.

Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS): RBI eased onboarding of MSMEs onto this invoice-discounting platform; the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has now integrated it to speed up vendor payments.

CGSMFI-2.0: the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions was extended to 31 August 2026 (or till ₹20,000 crore in guarantees is issued); loan limit for large NBFC-Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) raised from ₹300 crore to ₹1,000 crore; coverage is now tiered — 80% for small, 75% medium, 70% large MFIs (replacing a flat 75%).

Drunix: the National Payments Corporation of India's (NPCI) second open-source blockchain contribution (after Falcon) — a private distributed-ledger framework re-engineered from Hyperledger Fabric, built for tokenisation platforms.

Blue Bonds: Sagarmala Finance Corporation, India's first maritime-focused state-owned NBFC, is set to launch India's first blue bonds (funds earmarked for ocean-friendly projects); Seychelles issued the world's first sovereign blue bond in 2018.

Price Stabilisation Fund for airlines: Cabinet approved a ₹10,000 crore corpus (36 months) to give Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) interest-free advances so Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF, ~40% of airline operating costs) prices stay stable.

Development Policy Financing (DPF): World Bank approved a $1.5 billion package for India to boost growth and jobs, disbursed against policy/institutional reform milestones aligned with the Paris Agreement.

RBI Annual Report — external sector: merchandise trade deficit widened to USD 333.2 billion (from USD 282.5 billion); China overtook the US as India's largest trading partner in 2025-26; India signed the UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Oman's CEPA, and a New Zealand FTA; Current Account Deficit (CAD) stayed contained at USD 30.2 billion (1.1% of GDP).

RBI Annual Report — growth mix: Services Gross Value Added (GVA) grew 8.7% and Manufacturing GVA grew 11.5% (its strongest in years) in 2025-26; net FDI rose to USD 7.7 billion, with India ranked 2nd globally in greenfield FDI announcements.

RBI Annual Report — 2026-27 outlook: the government set up an Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) to cushion fiscal shocks; Budget 2026-27 named 7 strategic sectors (semiconductors, rare earths, biopharma, etc.) for a focused push; updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target 60% non-fossil electric capacity by 2035.

RBI Annual Report — digital & AI: following the AI Impact Summit 2026's New Delhi Declaration, India ranks 3rd globally in AI competitiveness; RBI plans to expand Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilots, the Unified Lending Interface (ULI), and the MuleHunter.ai fraud-detection tool under Payments Vision 2028.

Statistical trigger: an IMF 'C' grade (late 2025) on the quality of India's national-accounts data was a key trigger for the statistical database overhaul.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

What does FAR stand for in the G-Sec reform context?TAP

Fully Accessible Route — lets foreign investors buy select Government Securities without General-Route restrictions.

Who chaired the committee whose recommendations led to the IBC, 2016?TAP

Dr T.K. Viswanathan (Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee/BLRC).

What is India's Gross NPA ratio as of Sept 2025, thanks largely to IBC?TAP

2.1% — a 12-year low, down from a peak of 11.8% in 2017.

Which Act gives Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) their statutory backbone?TAP

The SARFAESI Act, 2002.

Which port topped the new Logistics Port Performance Index for container cargo?TAP

Mundra Port (private).

What is India's rank as the world's tourism economy by size?TAP

8th largest, at US$231.6 billion.

What did the 2025 SEZ Rules amendment specifically ease?TAP

Land norms for semiconductor SEZs (e.g. Sanand, Dharwad).

To what year has India's GDP base year shifted?TAP

2022-23 (from 2011-12).

How much was RBI's record surplus transfer to the government for FY26?TAP

₹2.87 lakh crore (up from ₹2.11 lakh crore).

By how much did the Kavach system cut train accidents (2014-15 to 2025-26)?TAP

From 135 accidents down to just 16.

What is ILO Convention No. 193 about?TAP

The first global treaty setting binding labour standards for gig/platform work.

What share of India's 2024-25 trade deficit did remittances alone cover?TAP

47.5%.

🧠 Quick Quiz

The Fully Accessible Route (FAR) is associated with which financial instrument?

Answer: Government Securities (G-Secs) — it lets foreign investors buy select G-Secs without General Route restrictions.

Name the "bad bank" set up to absorb large NPAs from public sector banks.

Answer: The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL), sponsored by Canara Bank.

What is the current cap on individual Person Resident Outside India (PROI) investment in equity of listed Indian companies?

Answer: 24% (raised from 10%).

Which committee's 1998 report first proposed Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) in India?

Answer: Narsimham Committee II.

What new index will eventually replace the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)?

Answer: The Producer Price Index (PPI), over a five-year transition.

What was India's real GDP growth rate for 2025-26 per RBI's Annual Report?

Answer: 7.3% (revised up from an initial 6.5% estimate).

What is RBI's repo rate as of the June 2026 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting?

Answer: 5.25% (held steady, "Neutral" stance).

Which country overtook the US as India's largest trading partner in 2025-26?

Answer: China.

What share of India's urban consumption growth is expected to come from outside the top 5 cities?

Answer: 93%.

Name the 2019 committee whose framework led to sharply higher RBI surplus transfers to the government.

Answer: The Bimal Jalan Committee (Economic Capital Framework).

What share of India's remittances now comes from advanced economies like the US, UK, and Singapore?

Answer: Over 50%.

How many old central labour laws were consolidated into India's four new Labour Codes?

Answer: 29.

🛡️

Security & Defence

DRDO's missile shield clears a big milestone, a new committee probes illegal immigration, SIPRI flags India's growing nuclear arsenal, and drones/critical infrastructure emerge as fresh security worries.

Multi-Layered BMD, NASM-MR & LRLACM Both

Why in news: In June 2026, DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) validated Phase-II of India's multi-layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, conducted the maiden test of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR), and flight-tested the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) — a big month for indigenous missile technology.

What is BMD: Ballistic Missile Defence — a network of long-range radars, command centres, and interceptor missiles that detects, tracks, and destroys incoming ballistic missiles (weapons that are rocket-powered at launch and then free-fall towards the target).
Phase-I (completed ~2019): intercepts short/medium-range missiles up to 2,000 km using the exo-atmospheric Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) and endo-atmospheric Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptors.
Phase-II (validated June 2026): uses AD-1 and AD-2 interceptors to neutralise intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles (3,000-5,500+ km class). With this, India joins only the USA, Russia, China and Israel in having this level of missile-defence capability.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra: the broader DRDO plan to build a layered missile shield over India's military assets and critical infrastructure.
Phase-III (under development): AD-AH (Anti-Hypersonic) and AD-AM (Anti-Missile) interceptors to counter Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs, which fly unpredictable paths) and MIRVs (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles) — closing a gap against China's advanced, manoeuvrable missile arsenal (DF-21, DF-26, DF-41).
NASM-MR: Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range — an indigenous, all-weather, over-the-horizon cruise missile with low-level sea-skimming flight (range up to 350 km) and high terminal accuracy, launchable from ships, aircraft, or submarines to destroy medium-sized warships.
LRLACM: Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile — a fully indigenous cruise missile (reported range ~1,000 km) for precision strikes deep into enemy territory; successor to the Nirbhay programme; uses terrain-hugging flight (hills/valleys) to dodge radar; developed by DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, as part of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliance) in defence.
Global comparisons: other notable BMD systems worldwide include Israel's Iron Dome, the US THAAD, and Russia's S-400.

1999year India's BMD programme began

5,000 km+class of missiles Phase-II can neutralise

350 kmNASM-MR range

Background

India's BMD programme was initiated by DRDO in 1999. It progressed through Phase-I (up to 2,000 km, using PDV/AAD) before validating Phase-II (up to 5,000 km-class, using AD-1/AD-2) in June 2026, with Phase-III interceptors for hypersonic and MIRV threats now under development.

Way forward

Complete development of Phase-III AD-AH and AD-AM interceptors to counter hypersonic glide vehicles and MIRVs.
Roll BMD capability into the wider "Mission Sudarshan Chakra" layered shield over military and critical infrastructure.
Continue indigenous development of NASM-MR and LRLACM to reduce import dependence, in line with Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the strategic significance of India's multi-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system for deterrence and national security in a region with advanced adversary missile arsenals.

Technology-Driven Warfare Both

Why in news: The Union Science and Technology Minister said technology-driven warfare is redefining national security, with the future of defence shaped by the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Technologies, Biotechnology, and Space capabilities.

AI in defence: boosts Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), target detection, decision support, autonomous systems, and predictive maintenance/logistics.
Quantum Technology: enables secure communication, advanced computing, precise navigation without GPS, and stealth detection.
Other key domains: Cyber Technology (protects networks, enables offensive cyber ops); Space Technology (satcom, ISR, missile warning); Unmanned Systems (surveillance, swarm attacks); Electronic Warfare (jamming, spectrum dominance); Hypersonic Technologies (high-speed precision strikes); Directed Energy Weapons (low-cost counter-drone/missile defence); 5G (secure, real-time multi-domain connectivity).
iDEX & ADITI: Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) promotes indigenous defence innovation via startups, MSMEs and academia; ADITI is a ₹750 crore (2023-26) iDEX scheme giving grants up to ₹25 crore for critical technologies like AI, quantum, semiconductors and autonomous systems.
Institutional architecture: National Quantum Mission (NQM) develops quantum comms/computing/sensing for secure military use, backed by a Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework (2026) for the Tri-Services; Defence AI Council (DAIC) and Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) lead AI R&D across the armed forces; Defence Space Agency (DSA) coordinates military space operations; Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) leads cyber defence and offensive cyber operations.
Key challenges: shortage of AI/data-science/cyber-warfare specialists in the Armed Forces; weak civil-military collaboration slowing R&D; dependence on foreign platforms limiting "design sovereignty"; AI "black box" issues reduce explainability; costly modernisation projects like the Battlefield Management System (BMS) have been cancelled.

Challenges

Skill and training gaps in operating advanced AI and cyber systems.
Cyber laws that don't adequately address state-sponsored cyber-attacks; weak AI-specific IP laws hindering defence innovation.
Malware risk from imported defence systems; lack of design sovereignty due to reliance on foreign platforms.

Way forward

Strengthen indigenous innovation and civil-military collaboration.
Ensure ethical, secure, and resilient adoption of emerging technologies to achieve strategic autonomy and credible deterrence.

Mains practice questionExamine how emerging technologies are transforming the nature of warfare and the challenges India faces in achieving self-reliance in defence technology.

High-Level Committee on Demographic Change (Illegal Immigration) Both

Why in news: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a High-Level Committee on Demographic Change, chaired by Justice P.P. Navlekar (a retired Supreme Court judge), to scientifically study Unnatural Demographic Change in India caused by illegal immigration, with a one-year mandate to report.

Composition & mandate: Justice P.P. Navlekar (Chairman), the Census Commissioner, and 3 other members; will study causes of demographic change, recommend a time-bound mechanism for identification, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants, and suggest ways to strengthen border management and population monitoring — with a focus on border states West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, plus Chin-Kuki refugee inflows into Manipur after Myanmar's 2021 coup.
Legal definitions: the Citizenship Act, 1955 defines an illegal migrant as a foreigner entering without valid travel documents, or overstaying a valid one. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 exempts Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India before 31 December 2014.
Why people migrate: Push factors — economic disparity, political instability (2021 Myanmar coup, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War), religious persecution (Rohingya in Myanmar), environmental disasters (floods/cyclones in Bangladesh). Pull factors — India's relative political stability, anonymity in large metros, and access to public welfare resources.
Security concerns: migration corridors are sometimes used for human trafficking and arms smuggling; illegal immigrants can acquire tribal land through loopholes despite protective laws (e.g., the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1876); irregular ID documents (Aadhaar, voter IDs) risk skewing electoral rolls. India's national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen below the replacement level (~1.9-2.0), yet some border districts show unusually high decadal population growth (29-40%+), which the committee will investigate.
Structural challenges: nearly 25% of the India-Bangladesh border is riverine or difficult terrain, making complete fencing impossible; immigration policy is framed by the Centre but implemented by states, causing delays; India has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, so illegal immigrants and genuine refugees are not clearly distinguished in law.
Steps already taken: the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 registers foreigners and penalises illegal entry (up to 5 years' imprisonment, ₹5 lakh fine, or both); the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) uses sensors, thermal imagers and technology (e.g., BOLD-QIT) along the Bangladesh border instead of relying only on physical patrolling; Foreigners Tribunals adjudicate nationality disputes.
Key case law: Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India (2005) called unchecked Bangladeshi immigration into Assam an "external aggression"; Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha v. Union of India (2014) ordered a time-bound National Register of Citizens (NRC) update in Assam; Assam Public Works v. Union of India (2019) directed NRC implementation; Mohammad Salimullah v. Union of India (2021) allowed Rohingya deportation but only after due process; NHRC v. Arunachal Pradesh (1996) held that Article 21 protections extend to foreigners (Chakma refugees).

Way forward

Prioritise the 2027 Census and localised demographic audits.
Deploy CIBMS more widely on porous borders and set up a central coordinating authority under the MHA.
Streamline legal deportation under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025; sign bilateral agreements for time-bound nationality verification and repatriation.
Audit electoral rolls for fraudulent entries; consider a National Refugee Law to distinguish asylum seekers from illegal migrants.

Mains practice questionHow can India balance national security concerns with constitutional and humanitarian safeguards while addressing illegal immigration?

SIPRI Yearbook 2026 & India's Nuclear Doctrine Both

Why in news: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026 reports that India has expanded its nuclear arsenal and, for the first time, placed some warheads in an operationally deployed state — alongside data on global military spending, arms trade, and conflict trends.

Global nuclear stockpile: roughly 12,187 nuclear warheads worldwide as of January 2026; the USA and Russia together hold 86% of them. All 9 nuclear-armed states are modernising their arsenals, and the New START arms-control treaty expired in February 2026 with no replacement in sight.
India's arsenal: increased to an estimated 190 warheads (12 deployed on missiles, 178 in reserve), compared with China's 620 and Pakistan's 170.
Military spending: global military expenditure hit a record US$2.9 trillion in 2025 (11th straight year of increase); India is now the world's 5th largest military spender at US$92.1 billion in 2025 (up 8.9% from 2024), behind the USA ($954 billion), China, Russia and Germany.
Arms trade: India remained the world's 2nd largest arms importer (~8% share, after Ukraine); the USA (42% share), France, Russia, Germany and China together account for 70% of global arms exports.
Rising instability: the number of interstate armed conflicts doubled from 3 in 2024 to 6 in 2025. Techno-strategic warfare — AI, drone swarms, autonomous weapons, cyber tools, and weaponisation of critical minerals/semiconductors/supply chains — is reshaping modern warfare. Operation Sindoor (May 2025) marked the first time India integrated cyber operations into an active conflict with Pakistan.
India's Nuclear Doctrine (adopted 2003): based on No First Use (NFU), Credible Minimum Deterrence, Massive Retaliation if attacked, strict civilian political control over the arsenal, and a pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states (except in retaliation for a chemical or biological weapons attack).
Nuclear journey: from the "peaceful" 1974 Pokhran-I test ("Smiling Buddha") to full weaponisation after the 1998 Pokhran-II tests ("Operation Shakti", commemorated as National Technology Day on 11 May), followed by the 2008 US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement and a Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver.
Global disarmament architecture: UNODA (UN Office for Disarmament Affairs) and the Conference on Disarmament (1978) are key forums; major treaties include the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1968), CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, 1996), and TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 2017).

12,187global nuclear warheads (Jan 2026)

190India's estimated warheads

5thIndia's rank in military spending

Background

India's Nuclear Doctrine was adopted in 2003, built on principles of No First Use and Credible Minimum Deterrence. It followed a path from the 1974 Pokhran-I ("Smiling Buddha") test to full weaponisation after the 1998 Pokhran-II tests ("Operation Shakti"), and the 2008 Civil Nuclear Agreement with the US along with an NSG waiver.

Mains practice questionCritically evaluate India's "No First Use" nuclear doctrine in light of evolving regional security threats and the trend towards operational deployment of warheads.

Evolving Drone Risks in Modern Warfare Mains

Why in news: The government warned of possible rogue drone attacks on border installations, accelerating the deployment of counter-drone systems, drawing lessons from the Ukraine war and West Asia conflicts.

Why drones are popular in warfare: they are cheap, mass-producible, and multi-role — used for surveillance, electronic warfare, and precision strikes; "kamikaze"/loitering munitions can destroy high-value targets cheaply; fibre-optic-guided drones resist radio jamming.
Security concerns: drones lower the entry barrier for non-state actors and terrorists to wage asymmetric warfare; they threaten Critical Infrastructure such as ports, airports and power grids; they are hard to detect at low altitude (evading radar), including in coordinated "swarm" attacks.
Global lessons: the Ukraine war and conflicts in West Asia have shown how cheap drones can offset expensive conventional military assets, prompting India to accelerate its own counter-drone preparedness.

Way forward

Build a layered counter-drone defence — radar, jamming, and kinetic interception — especially around sensitive sites and borders.
Boost indigenous counter-drone technology through DRDO, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and startups.
Improve coordination between the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Border Security Force (BSF), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) with standard operating procedures.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the challenges posed by rogue drones to national security and suggest measures to strengthen India's counter-drone preparedness.

Protecting Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Both

Why in news: Concerns over the safety of India's Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) have grown as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Operational Technology (OT) systems become more interconnected.

What is CNI: physical and digital systems — power grids, transport, banking/payment systems like UPI (Unified Payments Interface), telecom, and defence networks — whose failure would seriously hurt national security or public safety; protected under the IT Act, 2000 via the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).
Major threats: previously "air-gapped" (isolated) industrial systems are now internet-connected, widening the attack surface; heavy use of foreign-made hardware (e.g., large numbers of Chinese-made surveillance cameras in Indian city infrastructure) raises supply-chain risk; the future "quantum" threat means adversaries could steal encrypted data now to decrypt later once quantum computers mature; many state utilities still run outdated software with weak security audits.
India's existing defences: NCIIPC; CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team); I4C (Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre); the Trusted Telecom Portal; and the IndiaAI Mission.

Way forward

Move critical sectors to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) by 2029.
Adopt a "Zero-Trust" security model ("never trust, always verify") and boost domestic microchip/hardware manufacturing ("silicon sovereignty").
Create one unified cyber command instead of scattered agencies; run public-awareness campaigns against digital scams.

Mains practice questionCritically examine the cyber vulnerabilities facing India's Critical National Infrastructure in the era of AI, IoT, and OT convergence.

Netra AEW&C System Gets Final Operational Clearance Both

Why in news: DRDO achieved Final Operational Clearance (FOC) for the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system, India's "eye in the sky".

What it does: an AEW&C system carries sensors mounted on an aircraft to locate and give early warning of airborne and sea-surface targets and hostile emissions.
Timeline: Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) was given in 2015, and Netra was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2017; it has now achieved Final Operational Clearance (FOC).
Developed by: DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems, with the IAF and Indian industry; mounted on the Brazilian Embraer EMB-145I aircraft.
Key features: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), secure electronic and communication support, and improved detection of low-flying targets.
Significance: made India the 5th country in the world with indigenous AEW&C capability.
Combat record: proved effective during the 2019 Balakot strikes and Operation Sindoor (2025).

Mains practice questionDiscuss the significance of indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability for India's air defence strategy.

⚡ Quick Facts

Three naval ships commissioned: PM commissioned INS Dunagiri (Project 17A stealth guided-missile frigate with BrahMos), INS Sanshodhak (survey vessel for hydrographic mapping), and INS Agray (Arnala-class anti-submarine warfare craft) in Kolkata, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) with over 75% indigenous content.

Project Kusha: DRDO's indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile system (Extended Range Air Defence System), with interceptor ranges from ~150 km to 350-400 km, aimed at reducing India's dependence on the imported Russian S-400.

4th S-400 squadron: India received its fourth S-400 Triumf air defence squadron (called "Sudarshan" in Indian service) under a 2018 US$5.43 billion, five-squadron deal with Russia; it can track 300 targets and engage 36 at once, and proved effective during Operation Sindoor.

RudraM-II tested: DRDO and the IAF flight-tested the indigenous RudraM-II air-to-surface anti-radiation missile (destroys enemy radar systems) from a Su-30MKI fighter jet; developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.

BrahMos-Vietnam deal: India signed a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (Mach 2.8, 290 km range) export deal with Vietnam at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore; a similar deal with Indonesia is in final stages; the Philippines was the first foreign BrahMos buyer (2022).

New service chiefs: Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth is the next Chief of the Army Staff (from 30 June 2026), succeeding Gen Upendra Dwivedi; Admiral Krishna Swaminathan became the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi.

Border Security Grid: government announced a "Quadrangular Security Grid" and "Smart Border Security Project" using drones, radars and technological fencing (especially in riverine/forested terrain like Gujarat's Sir Creek), shifting from a purely force-centric approach to one also involving civil administration and police.

Exercise Khaan Quest 2026: the 23rd edition of this multilateral peacekeeping exercise was held in Mongolia (started 2003 as a bilateral US-Mongolia exercise, multilateral since 2006); the 2026 edition involved 18 countries, including a 40-member Indian Army contingent.

Exercise PRAGATI: India's maiden multilateral military exercise — Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth And Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region — with 12 partner nations: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

10th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue: the two countries discussed boosting defence manufacturing and R&D cooperation for Indo-Pacific stability, building on their 2025 elevation to a Strategic Partnership.

Oreshnik missile: Russia reportedly used its hypersonic "Oreshnik" intermediate-range ballistic missile (capable of ~Mach 10, carrying multiple warheads) during a large-scale attack on Ukraine — its third reported use, signalling the rising role of hypersonic weapons in modern conflict.

Project Nimbus: global protests continued against this US$1.2 billion cloud-computing deal between the Israeli government and Google/Amazon, over concerns its AI/cloud tools could be used for surveillance and military targeting in Gaza.

Su-57 offer: Russia offered India its 5th-generation stealth fighter Sukhoi Su-57, along with a proposal for joint production in India; other 5th-gen jets include the US F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, China's J-20 and J-35, and India's own AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) in the pipeline.

Shangri-La Dialogue: Asia's premier annual defence summit, held in Singapore and organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), bringing together global defence leaders for strategic debates and bilateral talks.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

What does BMD stand for?TAP

Ballistic Missile Defence — a network of radars, command centres and interceptor missiles that detects, tracks and destroys incoming ballistic missiles.

What is NASM-MR?TAP

Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range — an indigenous, sea-skimming cruise missile (range up to 350 km) to destroy warships.

Name India's two Phase-I BMD interceptor systems.TAP

PDV (Prithvi Defence Vehicle, exo-atmospheric) and AAD (Advanced Air Defence, endo-atmospheric).

What is India's estimated nuclear arsenal size per SIPRI 2026?TAP

About 190 warheads — 12 deployed on missiles, 178 in reserve.

Who chairs the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change?TAP

Justice P.P. Navlekar, a retired Supreme Court judge.

In what year was India's Nuclear Doctrine adopted, and what is its core principle?TAP

2003; based on No First Use (NFU) with Credible Minimum Deterrence.

What does NCIIPC stand for?TAP

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre — protects India's Critical National Infrastructure under the IT Act, 2000.

What class of ship is INS Dunagiri?TAP

A Project 17A stealth guided-missile frigate armed with BrahMos missiles.

What is Project Kusha?TAP

DRDO's indigenous long-range air defence system (Extended Range Air Defence System), meant to reduce reliance on Russia's S-400.

What milestone did Netra AEW&C achieve, and what rank does it give India?TAP

Final Operational Clearance (FOC); it made India the 5th country with indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control capability.

🧠 Quick Quiz

Which country was the world's largest military spender in 2025 per SIPRI Yearbook 2026?

Answer: The USA (US$954 billion), followed by China, Russia, Germany, and then India (5th, at $92.1 billion).

What was India's rank among global arms importers over 2021-25?

Answer: 2nd largest importer (~8% share of world imports), after Ukraine.

What are the three phases of India's Ballistic Missile Defence programme?

Answer: Phase-I (up to 2,000 km, using PDV/AAD, completed ~2019); Phase-II (3,000-5,500+ km class, using AD-1/AD-2, validated June 2026); Phase-III (under development, AD-AH/AD-AM interceptors for hypersonic and MIRV threats).

What is DRDO's broader plan for a layered missile shield over military and critical infrastructure called?

Answer: Mission Sudarshan Chakra.

Which Act defines an "illegal migrant" in India?

Answer: The Citizenship Act, 1955.

Which Supreme Court case directed a time-bound update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam?

Answer: Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha v. Union of India (2014).

Roughly what share of the India-Bangladesh border is riverine or difficult terrain, complicating fencing?

Answer: Nearly 25%.

What is the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) used for?

Answer: Border surveillance using sensors, thermal imagers, drones and radars instead of relying only on physical patrolling — deployed along borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh (e.g., BOLD-QIT).

Name India's 5th-generation fighter aircraft currently under development.

Answer: AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft).

Which major nuclear arms-control treaty expired in February 2026 with no replacement in place?

Answer: The New START treaty between the USA and Russia.

🌱

Environment & Ecology

Biodiversity benefit-sharing, global chemical/climate governance, wetlands, air pollution control, and species/coral news from June 2026.

Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Framework Both

Why in news: India's Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 has mobilized more than ₹266 crore towards benefit sharing and disbursed around ₹145 crore to beneficiaries.

What is ABS: It ensures that when biological resources (plants, animals, microorganisms) or the traditional knowledge linked to them are used commercially, the resulting benefits are shared fairly with the indigenous and local communities who conserve them.
Parent treaty: The Nagoya Protocol (in force since 2014) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); it also feeds into the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Cali Fund launched at COP16 (2025) for sharing benefits from Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources.
Three core principles: State Sovereignty over natural resources; Prior Informed Consent (PIC) from the provider country's Competent National Authority before accessing genetic resources; Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) on usage and benefit-sharing.
India's three-tier structure: National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the Centre, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), and local Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) — all statutory bodies under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Sector-wise realization: Red Sanders trade accounted for the highest share (45%), followed by the seed sector (32.3%) and pharmaceuticals/AYUSH (13.8%).
2025 update: The Biological Diversity (Access and Benefit Sharing) Regulation 2025 replaced the 2014 rules, adding coverage of Digital Sequence Information and turnover-based benefit-sharing quantum.
Landmark case: Divya Pharmacy v. Union of India (2018) affirmed domestic companies' benefit-sharing obligations and strengthened the regulatory authority of State Biodiversity Boards.
Real-world example: The Kani tribe received 50% of the licence fee/royalty from the drug "Jeevani," developed from the Arogyapacha plant — cited as a model of ethical equity.

₹266 cr+mobilized via ABS

₹145 crdisbursed to beneficiaries

45%share from Red Sanders

Challenges

Genetic resources and knowledge often cross borders, making Prior Informed Consent and fair benefit-sharing hard to obtain (trans-boundary resources).
Weak institutional and human capacity to implement the CBD, Nagoya Protocol, and national biodiversity laws.
Traditional/customary knowledge systems are poorly integrated into formal legal and intellectual property frameworks.
Documenting biodiversity and associated knowledge is slow and technically demanding.
Blurred line between academic and commercial research allows some users to bypass benefit-sharing rules.
Long, inefficient value chains reduce the financial returns that actually reach local communities.
Overlapping mandates among multiple agencies weaken monitoring and enforcement.
Public awareness of the CBD, Nagoya Protocol, and the Biological Diversity Act remains low.

Way forward

Legally recognize customary laws and integrate them into the ABS framework to empower indigenous communities.
Digitize documentation to speed up the People's Biodiversity Register, which records local biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.
Set clear rules distinguishing academic from commercial research to prevent misuse of exemptions.
Build a centralized digital platform linking the NBA, SBBs, and BMCs for real-time compliance monitoring.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the significance of India's Access and Benefit Sharing framework in translating biodiversity conservation into equitable community benefits. What challenges limit its effective implementation?

Global Chemicals Monitoring Programme (GCMP) Both

Why in news: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) recently launched the Global Chemicals Monitoring Programme (GCMP).

Purpose: GCMP will help evaluate how effective the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury actually are, and build developing countries' capacity to monitor hazardous chemicals.
Financing: A US$23.5 million initiative funded by GEF, backed by a further US$50 million in co-financing.
Stockholm Convention (POPs): A binding global treaty against Persistent Organic Pollutants — toxic, carbon-based chemicals (e.g., DDT) that resist breakdown and build up in the environment. Adopted 2001, in force 2004. India ratified in 2006 but uses an Opt-Out Clause, so new additions don't automatically bind it.
Minamata Convention (Mercury): A binding global treaty covering mercury's full life-cycle — mining, trade, use, emissions, and disposal. Adopted 2013, in force 2017; India is a full party.
About UNEP: Established 1972; headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya (the first UN body headquartered in a developing country); hosts the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the world's top environmental decision-making body with 193 members.
About GEF: Established 1991; the world's largest multilateral environmental funding mechanism (World Bank is its trustee); it is the financial mechanism for six conventions — CBD, UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), Stockholm, Minamata, UNCCD (UN Convention to Combat Desertification), and BBNJ (marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction).

$23.5 mnGEF financing

$50 mnco-financing

6conventions GEF funds

SC Review of Wetland Conservation Rules 2017 Both

Why in news: The Supreme Court is reviewing India's Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, after concerns that state governments have been slow to notify and protect wetlands, leaving many vulnerable to encroachment and pollution.

Why wetlands matter: Wetlands (marshes, lakes, mangroves) are vital for groundwater recharge, flood control, and biodiversity, but India has lost a significant share of its wetlands to urbanisation and agriculture expansion over recent decades.
2017 Rules: State Wetland Authorities are required to identify and notify wetlands, but implementation has been patchy across states.
Ramsar Convention: The international treaty (1971) for wetland conservation; India has 80+ Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance).

Challenges

Weak state-level enforcement of the notification process.
Competing pressure from urban expansion and agricultural land use.
Lack of updated wetland inventories to guide protection efforts.

Way forward

Faster notification of wetlands by states.
Stronger penalties for encroachment.
Use of satellite monitoring for wetland health tracking.

Scheme for Replacement of Old Trucks & Buses in Delhi-NCR Prelims

Why in news: A new scheme was introduced to phase out old, polluting trucks and buses in the Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) area to fight air pollution.

The problem: Old diesel commercial vehicles are a major contributor to Delhi-NCR's severe air pollution, especially during winter months.
The scheme: Offers incentives for scrapping old vehicles and replacing them with cleaner (BS-VI, CNG, or electric) alternatives.
Fits into a bigger plan: This complements existing measures like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), used during high-pollution episodes in Delhi-NCR.

Global Call to Action on Methane Both

Why in news: To limit the scale and duration of a 1.5°C temperature overshoot, the UN Secretary-General launched a Global Call to Action on Methane to support the Global Methane Pledge.

Global Methane Pledge: A US and EU-led initiative launched in 2021 to cut global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030; India is not a signatory.
Why methane matters: It is responsible for nearly one-third of global warming and is around 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2), though it lingers in the atmosphere for only about a decade versus centuries for CO2.
9 actions across 3 sectors: Fossil fuels (38% of global methane emissions) — fix leaks, end routine flaring/venting, adopt a science-based methane standard.
Agriculture (42% of emissions) — produce food more efficiently, halve per-capita food waste, redirect harmful subsidies toward methane-reducing farming.
Waste (20% of emissions) — phase out open dumping and uncontrolled landfills, capture methane from waste/wastewater, build circular low-methane urban waste systems.

42%from agriculture

38%from fossil fuels

20%from waste

Way forward

Fossil fuels: fix leaks, ban routine flaring/venting, use satellite monitoring, adopt a global methane intensity standard.
Agriculture: low-methane livestock/rice practices, halve food waste, shift subsidies to climate-resilient farming.
Waste: phase out open dumpsites, capture methane for energy, mandate source-segregation and composting.

⚡ Quick Facts

Bonn Climate Conference (SB64): Key preparatory session for COP31 (Antalya, Türkiye, Nov 2026); new 2035 targets set — 35% share of electricity in final energy demand, halve the growth in global waste, cut building-sector energy intensity by 25%.

India-Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM): India's first live bilateral carbon-trading framework, finalized under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement; the Delhi Metro is eligible for carbon credit transfer under it.

WMO Climate Update (2024-28): World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says there's an 80% chance a year in this window temporarily exceeds 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and an 86% chance a year beats 2023 (the current warmest year on record).

Turquoise Nexus Initiative: Launched by Turkey's COP31 Presidency and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the FAST Partnership (started at COP27, Egypt) to weave food-water-climate approaches into countries' climate plans (NDCs).

Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2026: World Economic Forum (WEF) index; global readiness fell for the first time in over a decade; Sweden, Finland, Denmark stayed top three; India climbed two places to rank 70th of 120 countries.

Floating Solar Energy in India: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) report puts India's floating solar potential at 102.18 GWp, out of a total solar potential of 3,445 GWp; installed solar capacity has grown from 2.8 GW (2014) to 155 GW (2026); Maharashtra leads state-wise potential.

Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project: India's first commercial-scale plant, in Odisha, built by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL), a joint venture of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Limited; will produce 2,000 tonnes/day of ammonium nitrate using indigenous coal gasification technology.

India's 100th Ramsar Site: Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal), an oxbow lake in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, and a key wintering ground on the Central Asian Flyway.

Species in the news: An albino Hog Deer was spotted in Kaziranga National Park; the rare Caracal was seen in Kuno National Park after several decades; a 2025 cyclone killed nearly 7% of the critically endangered Tapanuli Orangutan population in Sumatra.

Coral Translocation, Great Nicobar Island: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) identified four new sites to relocate corals and giant clams threatened by the Galathea transhipment port project.

Potato Patch Coral Colony, Lakshadweep: A giant Pavona clavus coral patch (~4,250 sq. m) found off Kadmat Island — potentially the world's largest living colony of the species.

3D-Printed Artificial Reefs: Tamil Nadu is deploying India's first, made by Tvasta (an IIT Madras-incubated startup) with ICAR-CMFRI, under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Seismic Doublet, Venezuela: Two major earthquakes (magnitude 7.2 and 7.5) struck near Yumare from distinct but closely related fault ruptures in quick succession — a pattern called a "doublet."

Dam Projects in the News: Six states agreed to sign an MoU for the Kishau Multipurpose Dam on the River Tons (a Yamuna tributary); Kirthai-II became the third hydroelectric project on the Chenab approved since the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

What is the parent treaty of India's ABS (Access and Benefit Sharing) framework?TAP

The Nagoya Protocol (in force since 2014) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Which sector had the highest share of ABS benefit realization in India?TAP

Red Sanders trade, at 45%, ahead of the seed sector (32.3%) and pharma/AYUSH (13.8%).

Who launched the Global Chemicals Monitoring Programme (GCMP)?TAP

UNEP (UN Environment Programme) and GEF (Global Environment Facility), to evaluate the Stockholm and Minamata Conventions.

Which convention does India follow using an "Opt-Out Clause"?TAP

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) — new additions don't automatically bind India.

Roughly how many Ramsar sites does India have?TAP

80+ Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention (1971), including India's 100th site, Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary.

Who is responsible for notifying wetlands under the 2017 Wetland Rules?TAP

State Wetland Authorities — implementation has been patchy, prompting Supreme Court review.

What kind of replacement vehicles does the Delhi-NCR scrappage scheme push for?TAP

Cleaner BS-VI, CNG, or electric vehicles, replacing old polluting diesel trucks and buses.

Which sector emits the largest share of global anthropogenic methane?TAP

Agriculture, at 42%, ahead of fossil fuels (38%) and waste (20%).

Which body is the financial mechanism for six global environmental conventions, including the CBD and UNFCCC?TAP

The Global Environment Facility (GEF), established 1991, with the World Bank as trustee.

🧠 Quick Quiz

Which bird sanctuary became India's 100th Ramsar site?

Answer: Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal), an oxbow lake in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh.

Which rare wild cat was spotted in Kuno National Park after several decades?

Answer: The Caracal.

What rank did India achieve in the WEF's Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2026?

Answer: 70th out of 120 countries, up two places from the previous year.

What is India's total assessed floating solar potential, per the MNRE report?

Answer: About 102.18 GWp, out of a total solar potential of 3,445 GWp.

What initiative did Turkey's COP31 Presidency and the FAO jointly launch?

Answer: The Turquoise Nexus Initiative, under the FAST Partnership, to fold food-water-climate approaches into national climate plans.

Which two countries finalized a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement?

Answer: India and Japan.

What is a "seismic doublet"?

Answer: Two earthquakes of similar magnitude, from distinct but closely related fault ruptures, occurring in quick succession — as seen in the Venezuela earthquakes near Yumare.

Which startup, incubated at IIT Madras, developed India's first 3D-printed artificial reef with ICAR-CMFRI?

Answer: Tvasta, deployed in Tamil Nadu under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.

On which river is the Kishau Multipurpose Dam being built, and which states are involved?

Answer: The River Tons (a Yamuna tributary), on the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border; six states — Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan — agreed to the MoU.

🔬

Science & Technology

From flex-fuel cars and a giant battery park to India's semiconductor roadmap, a new Ebola alert, and a smashed-atom discovery — June 2026's biggest science and tech stories.

Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) Both

Why in news: Maruti Suzuki launched India's first flex-fuel car, which can run on any blend of ethanol and petrol from E20 to E100.

Meaning: Flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are ordinary petrol engines re-engineered to run smoothly on petrol, pure ethanol, or any mix of the two — for example E20 (20% ethanol), E85, or E100 (100% ethanol).
How it works: A fuel sensor detects the exact ethanol-petrol ratio in real time and feeds this to the Engine Control Unit (ECU, the car's onboard computer), which auto-adjusts fuel injection and ignition timing since ethanol burns differently from petrol.
Energy security: India imports about 88% of its crude oil, so flex-fuel vehicles reduce exposure to global oil-price shocks and supply disruptions.
Economic gains: The Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) has saved Rs 1.97 lakh crore in foreign exchange by substituting 316 lakh tonnes of crude oil, and transferred Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers who supply ethanol feedstock like molasses and damaged grain.
Emissions: Blended fuels burn cleaner, cutting CO2 emissions by roughly 952 lakh tonnes.
Concerns: Ethanol has lower energy density than petrol, so mileage drops; heavy use of food crops like sugarcane and maize for ethanol raises a "food vs fuel" conflict; sugarcane is very water-intensive, straining water-stressed regions.
Related: India also plans to blend isobutanol (a four-carbon alcohol that mixes more easily into diesel without extra additives, and is less corrosive than ethanol) with diesel.

Way forward

Learn from Brazil, which has an 80% flex-fuel fleet, by phasing the transition and letting drivers choose fuel based on real-time price.
Shift to Second-Generation (2G) ethanol made from agricultural waste and bamboo instead of food-grade crops.
Zone sugarcane cultivation by regional water availability to avoid straining drought-prone areas.

Mains practice questionDiscuss how flex-fuel vehicles can help India balance energy security, farmer income, and environmental sustainability.

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Both

Why in news: Adani Green Energy Ltd commissioned the world's largest Battery Energy Storage System outside China, at Khavda, Gujarat.

What is BESS: Devices that store surplus electricity as chemical energy while charging and convert it back to electricity when discharging — essentially a giant rechargeable battery bank for the power grid.
Scale: The Khavda project stores 3.37 GWh (gigawatt-hours) of energy using lithium-ion battery technology.
Government target: India aims to deploy 47 GW of BESS capacity by 2032 to support its renewable energy push.
Why it's needed: Solar and wind power are intermittent (not always available); BESS stores surplus clean power and releases it during peak demand, replacing polluting diesel generators and helping lower electricity tariffs (a process called peak shaving).
Battery types used: Lithium-ion (light, high energy density), sodium-based (cheap, non-toxic materials, runs hot), and flow batteries (store energy in liquid electrolyte tanks kept outside the battery).
Support schemes: Viability Gap Funding (VGF) targets 4,000 MWh of BESS by 2030-31; a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme backs domestic Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery manufacturing.

3.37 GWhKhavda BESS project size

47 GWIndia's BESS target by 2032

Challenges

High upfront capital cost for battery systems and power electronics.
India has very limited domestic reserves of lithium, cobalt, and nickel needed to make batteries.
No regulatory standards yet exist for reusing degraded EV batteries in "second-life" storage applications.

Way forward

Expand domestic battery manufacturing and R&D through schemes targeted at Advanced Chemistry Cells.
Mandate closed-loop recycling to recover lithium, cobalt, and nickel from used batteries, cutting import dependence.

Green Hydrogen Both

Why in news: The government launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India to certify green hydrogen production.

What is green hydrogen: Hydrogen made by splitting water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity from renewable sources like solar or wind — a process called electrolysis — so no carbon dioxide is released during production, unlike hydrogen made from fossil fuels.
Certification threshold: To be officially labelled "green," total emissions across the whole production cycle must stay under 2 kg of CO2-equivalent per kg of hydrogen, averaged over 12 months.
National Green Hydrogen Mission: Launched in 2023 with a Rs 19,744 crore outlay to make India a global hub for producing, using, and exporting green hydrogen.
2030 targets: At least 5 million tonnes/year of production capacity, over Rs 8 lakh crore in investment, 6 lakh+ jobs created, and a cut of more than Rs 1 lakh crore in fossil fuel import costs.
Uses: Making fertilizers and steel more cleanly, powering long-haul trucks, ships, and trains via fuel cells, and storing surplus renewable power for later use.
Colour code: Green, pink, and purple hydrogen (made using clean electricity) have near-zero carbon footprints; grey, brown, and black hydrogen (made from natural gas or coal) are far more polluting; blue hydrogen also uses fossil fuel but captures the resulting carbon.
Related — hydrogen train: India's first green hydrogen-powered train, flagged off on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana, runs on a fuel cell that combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, emitting only water vapour; 35 such trains are planned.

Challenges

High capital cost of equipment like electrolysers (the machines that split water) and dedicated pipelines/storage.
Hydrogen is hard to store — it needs extreme compression or very low temperatures because of its low energy density by volume.
It is highly flammable, colourless, and odourless, making leak detection difficult.
India still depends on imported critical materials like nickel, iridium, and platinum for electrolysers.

India's Semiconductor Ecosystem Both

Why in news: NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub released "Future of India's Semiconductor Industry," a 10-year roadmap setting out India's Semiconductor Vision 2035, alongside the Union Budget 2026 announcement of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0.

What semiconductors are: Materials like silicon used to make computer chips that power phones, cars, and virtually all modern electronics.
Big target: Build a USD 120-150 billion domestic semiconductor value chain by 2035, capturing 10-13% of the global chip market.
Self-sufficiency goal: Raise India's own chip-making capability from 15-25% by 2030 to 35-50% by 2035 — India currently imports 90-95% of the chips it needs.
Import bill: India spent nearly USD 150 billion importing semiconductor products between FY17 and FY25.
Five pillars of the roadmap: Pioneering (research and chip design), Policy & Investment, Production (fabrication and packaging), People (skilled workforce), and Partnership (with countries like the US, Japan, EU, South Korea).
Progress so far: 13 approved semiconductor projects are operational or under development; India's first chip fabrication plant, in Dholera, Gujarat, is expected to start production by 2028; indigenous processors already developed include DHRUV64, SHAKTI, and VIKRAM.
Growth drivers: India has nearly 20% of the world's semiconductor design workforce; the domestic chip market is projected to grow from about USD 45-60 billion (2025) to USD 100-200+ billion by the early-to-mid 2030s, driven by smartphones, EVs, 5G/6G, and AI infrastructure.
Government tools: India Semiconductor Mission (ISM and ISM 2.0), Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, and Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme.

$120-150 bnvalue chain target by 2035

35-50%chip self-sufficiency goal by 2035

Challenges

Advanced chip factories (fabs) cost over USD 5-15 billion and take 4-5 years to build.
India relies heavily on costly foreign chip-design (EDA) software tools.
Shortage of skilled talent in chip fabrication and packaging.
China dominates key raw materials used in chipmaking, including silicon, germanium, and gallium.

Mains practice questionHow can India use its Semiconductor Vision 2035 strategy to build a globally competitive chip ecosystem?

Emerging Power of Synthetic Biology Both

Why in news: Advances in understanding genes and cells, combined with AI, now let scientists engineer cells and organisms with entirely new, desired properties.

Meaning: Redesigning living organisms to perform useful functions — for example, using microbes to clean up pollution (bioremediation), or modifying rice to produce beta-carotene (a building block of Vitamin A) to fight Vitamin A deficiency.
vs genome editing: Synthetic biology stitches together long, often entirely new, stretches of DNA and inserts them into an organism's genome; genome editing (like CRISPR) makes smaller edits — deleting or adding small bits — to an organism's own existing DNA.
Health applications: Personalised cell and gene therapies that target the root cause of disease; bacteria engineered to deliver drugs directly to tumour cells; 3D-printed organs (bioprinting).
Food and soil applications: Genetically engineered microbes used as fertilizers, biopesticides, and probiotics; biosensors that monitor soil pollutants in real time.
Climate applications: New biological pathways to capture carbon more efficiently than natural photosynthesis; enzymes that break down plastic waste, and microbes that grow biodegradable materials.

Challenges

Affordability — personalised therapies can be very expensive.
Biosafety — releasing engineered microbes into the environment carries unknown risks.
Biosecurity — the same tools could be misused to develop bioweapons.
Cyber-biosecurity risks from growing links between biology and automation, plus broader ethical questions about engineering life.

IMI-Resistant Mustard Hybrids Both

Why in news: India is set to begin large-scale cultivation of Imidazolinone (IMI)-resistant mustard hybrids from the Rabi 2026-27 season, to fight the parasitic weed Orobanche and cut India's edible oil import bill.

The problem: Orobanche is a root-parasitic weed that attaches to mustard roots and drains its water and nutrients, especially in arid northern India, cutting yields.
Why it matters: India imported about 16 million tonnes of edible oil in 2024-25, worth nearly Rs 1.6 lakh crore — reducing this import bill is a priority.
How it was made: Through mutation breeding — breeding crops to select and preserve naturally occurring genetic mutations, not by inserting any foreign gene.
The science: IMI herbicides normally kill plants by blocking an enzyme called acetolactate synthase (ALS), which plants need to grow. In this mustard hybrid, a mutation alters the ALS enzyme so the herbicide can no longer bind to it — so farmers can spray IMI herbicide to kill the Orobanche weed without harming the resistant mustard crop.
Regulatory angle: Because mutation breeding is not genetic modification (GM), this mustard does not require approval from the GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) — unlike GM crops such as Bt Cotton or GM Mustard.
Hybrids vs GM crops: Hybrids are made by cross-breeding two genetically distinct parent plants to combine desirable traits; GM crops are made by directly inserting or modifying genes using genetic engineering (e.g., a bacterial gene inserted into Bt Cotton).
Other benefits: Less need for labour-intensive manual weeding, and generally improved productivity.

Mains practice questionMutation breeding does not require GEAC approval while genetic modification does. Examine the scientific and regulatory rationale behind this distinction.

SkyCast System Prelims

Why in news: India became the 19th country in the world to install the "SkyCast System," at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, under the recently approved Mission Mausam initiative.

What it is: An advanced atmospheric monitoring and forecasting system designed to improve aviation safety, especially during fog, by giving pilots and air traffic control real-time weather intelligence.
Radar Wind Profiler: Tracks wind speed, direction, turbulence, and vertical air movement up to 3 km altitude.
Other instruments combined: SODAR (a sound-based wind-detection tool), a Microwave Radiometer, a Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer or GFAS (studies fog droplets and aerosols), and a CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer (tracks the vertical structure and height of fog).
Origins: Built on insights from the Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX), running since 2015 at IGI Airport, conducted by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Larger scheme: Installed under Mission Mausam, a recently approved government initiative to modernise India's weather forecasting.

James Webb Space Telescope Prelims

Why in news: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected methane on the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS for the first time.

What it is: The successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, built to study the origins of the universe — how stars, planets, and the earliest galaxies formed.
Partnership: A joint project of NASA (USA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
How it sees: It observes the universe in infrared light (wavelengths longer than visible light), which lets it peer through cosmic dust to spot very distant, ancient objects.
Launch and orbit: Launched in 2021 aboard an Ariane rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana; it orbits at Lagrange Point 2 (L2), a gravitationally stable spot about 1.5 million km from Earth.

ANCHOR — Brainstem Atlas Prelims

Why in news: IIT Madras created ANCHOR — the Atlas of Neurochemical Characterization of the Human Brainstem with 3D Reconstruction — the world's most detailed 3D map of the human brainstem.

What it maps: More than 200 brainstem nuclei (clusters of nerve cells) and fiber tracts (bundles of nerve fibres), reconstructed from hundreds of serial brain sections spanning the prenatal period through childhood to adulthood.
What the brainstem is: The structure connecting the cerebrum (the brain's largest part) to the spinal cord and cerebellum.
Its three parts (top to bottom): midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
Why it matters: The brainstem controls vital, involuntary functions — breathing, consciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep — so a detailed atlas can aid research into neurological disorders.

Fibre-Optic Drones Both

Why in news: "Invisible" fibre-optic drones, which are hard to detect and jam, are increasingly being used in modern conflicts.

What they are: Electronic-warfare-resistant First-Person View (FPV) drones connected to their operator by a thin fibre-optic cable, instead of communicating over radio signals.
How the cable works: Commands and live video travel as pulses of light through very thin glass or plastic threads, using a principle called total internal reflection, where light bounces along inside the fibre without escaping.
Advantages: Because they don't use radio signals, they are immune to electronic jamming, harder to detect, and can navigate more precisely in difficult terrain.
Limitation: The physical cable limits their operating range and reaction time compared to radio-controlled drones.

Mains practice questionDiscuss how emerging technologies like fibre-optic drones are reshaping modern warfare and challenge traditional electronic countermeasures.

BGP Hijacking Both

Why in news: Telegram's founder claimed the app's access was being disrupted through BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) hijacking.

What BGP is: The internet's core routing system — it tells networks worldwide how data should travel to reach a specific IP address, essentially acting as a global road-map for internet traffic.
What hijacking means: A technique where someone falsely advertises that they control the route to a particular website or online service, misdirecting internet traffic — also called prefix hijacking, route hijacking, or IP hijacking.
Why it matters: It can be used to censor, spy on, or block access to online services, making it a live cybersecurity concern for governments and companies alike.

UNGA Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS Both

Why in news: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS aiming to end the disease as a public health threat by 2030.

Background: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks the body's immune system, and if untreated, can progress to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).
The 95-95-95 targets: By 2030, 95% of people living with HIV should know their status, 95% of those diagnosed should be on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment should have the virus suppressed to undetectable levels.
Integration goal: Mainstream HIV services into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and everyday primary healthcare systems, rather than running them as a separate programme.
Priority focus: Stopping mother-to-child (vertical) transmission, ending paediatric AIDS, and dismantling stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Bundibugyo Virus Outbreak Both

Why in news: The WHO (World Health Organization) declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) — the highest level of global alert the WHO can issue.

What it is: The Bundibugyo virus is one species of the Ebola virus (part of a group called Orthoebolavirus); it is zoonotic, meaning it spreads from animals to humans, with fruit bats believed to be its natural reservoir.
How it spreads: Between humans, through contact with blood or other bodily fluids.
Severity: Past outbreaks of this virus in Uganda and DRC (2007 and 2012) had fatality rates of nearly 30-50%.
Treatment gap: There is still no licensed vaccine or specific treatment; control depends on rapid detection, isolating patients, contact tracing, and safe burial practices.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the significance of WHO's Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) mechanism in global health governance, with reference to recent Ebola outbreaks.

Quark-Gluon Plasma — Smallest Droplet Discovered Prelims

Why in news: Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) discovered the smallest-ever droplet of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) that still behaves like a liquid, challenging existing ideas about matter at the subatomic scale.

What QGP is: An extremely hot state of matter (trillions of degrees) made of quarks and gluons — the fundamental particles that make up protons and neutrons; scientists believe it existed for a tiny fraction of a second right after the Big Bang.
How it's made: By smashing heavy atomic nuclei together at near-light speed inside the LHC.
The surprise finding: Even a tiny droplet with only thousands of particles (compared to the quadrillions in ordinary fluids) still flowed like a "near-perfect fluid" rather than behaving like a gas, helping scientists pinpoint exactly when matter turns liquid-like.
About the LHC: The world's largest particle accelerator, a 27 km underground ring at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland, famous for discovering the Higgs boson in 2012. India has contributed hardware, software, and personnel to it since a 1996 India-CERN agreement.

⚡ Quick Facts

Smart Seed Coating Technology: ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR) developed a biodegradable biopolymer coating for seeds that delivers beneficial microbes, nutrients, and crop-protection agents directly to the seed-soil interface, improving germination, root growth, and stress tolerance.

Isobutanol: A four-carbon alcohol (more carbon atoms than ethanol) proposed for blending with diesel; it has higher energy content, is less volatile and corrosive than ethanol, and blends without extra additives.

National Green Hydrogen Mission outlay: Rs 19,744 crore, launched 2023, running through FY 2029-30.

India's hydrogen train: Flagged off under the "Hydrogen for Heritage" project from Jind, Haryana; plan to deploy 35 hydrogen trains, with the first line running 75 km between Jind and Sonipat.

Khavda BESS: A 3.37 GWh lithium-ion project by Adani Green Energy Ltd — the world's largest single-location Battery Energy Storage System outside China.

CERN's LHC: A 27 km underground ring near Geneva, Switzerland; discovered the Higgs boson in 2012; India has been linked to it via a 1996 India-CERN cooperation agreement.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

What blend range can Maruti's new flex-fuel car run on?TAP

E20 to E100 — any petrol-ethanol blend from 20% ethanol up to 100% pure ethanol.

How big is the Khavda BESS project and who built it?TAP

3.37 GWh, built by Adani Green Energy Ltd — the world's largest single-location Battery Energy Storage System outside China.

What is the emission limit for hydrogen to be certified "green" in India?TAP

Under 2 kg CO2-equivalent per kg of hydrogen produced, averaged over 12 months.

What is India's chip self-sufficiency target for 2035 under the Semiconductor Vision?TAP

35-50% (up from a target of 15-25% by 2030).

How does synthetic biology differ from genome editing?TAP

Synthetic biology inserts long, often entirely new, DNA stretches into an organism; genome editing makes smaller edits to an organism's own existing DNA.

What breeding method created IMI-resistant mustard, and why doesn't it need GEAC approval?TAP

Mutation breeding (selecting natural mutations) — since it's not genetic modification, GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) approval isn't required.

Where does the James Webb Space Telescope orbit?TAP

Lagrange Point 2 (L2), about 1.5 million km from Earth.

What does ANCHOR (built by IIT Madras) map, and how much does it cover?TAP

A 3D atlas of the human brainstem, covering more than 200 nuclei and fiber tracts.

Why are fibre-optic drones hard to detect or jam?TAP

They send commands and video as light pulses through a physical fibre-optic cable instead of radio signals, making them immune to electronic jamming.

What does BGP stand for, and what does "BGP hijacking" mean?TAP

Border Gateway Protocol — the internet's routing system; hijacking means falsely advertising a route to misdirect internet traffic.

What are the UN's 95-95-95 HIV/AIDS targets for 2030?TAP

95% know their HIV status, 95% of those are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment have the virus suppressed.

What was surprising about the smallest Quark-Gluon Plasma droplet found at the LHC?TAP

Even with only thousands of particles, it still flowed like a "near-perfect fluid" instead of behaving like a gas.

🧠 Quick Quiz

Which company launched India's first flex-fuel car and what fuel range can it use?

Answer: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd; it can run on petrol, pure ethanol, or any blend between them from E20 to E100.

What government target has been set for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) deployment by 2032?

Answer: 47 GW of BESS capacity.

What portal did the government launch to certify green hydrogen production, and which ministry developed it?

Answer: The Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India, developed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

What is India's target semiconductor value chain size by 2035, and what share of the global chip market does it aim to capture?

Answer: USD 120-150 billion value chain, capturing 10-13% of the global chip market.

Give one health application of synthetic biology mentioned in the news.

Answer: Personalised cell and gene therapies, or engineering bacteria to deliver drugs directly to tumour cells (any valid example, such as 3D organ bioprinting).

What weed does IMI-resistant mustard help control, and how does it harm the crop?

Answer: Orobanche, a root-parasitic weed that attaches to mustard roots and drains its water and nutrients.

Under which government initiative was the SkyCast System installed at Delhi's IGI Airport?

Answer: Mission Mausam.

Which space agency's telescope detected methane on the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, and what did it succeed?

Answer: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST); it is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Which institute developed the ANCHOR brainstem atlas, and what are the brainstem's three parts?

Answer: IIT Madras; the brainstem's three parts (top to bottom) are the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

What physical principle allows fibre-optic drones to transmit commands and video as light pulses?

Answer: Total internal reflection, which keeps light bouncing along inside the thin glass or plastic fibre.

Which outbreak did the WHO declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and where?

Answer: The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

At which facility was the smallest-ever droplet of Quark-Gluon Plasma discovered, and what state of matter is it?

Answer: The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, Switzerland; QGP is an extremely hot state of matter made of quarks and gluons, believed to have existed just after the Big Bang.

🏺

Art, History & Culture

From the Harappan "Dancing Girl" row and the Gyan Bharatam manuscript mission to GI tags, gallantry awards and a freedom fighter's death anniversary — June 2026's culture stories mix ancient history, heritage policy and soft power.

Harappan Artefacts (Dancing Girl and Other Objects) Both

Why in news: NCERT modified and then restored the original image of the Harappan "Dancing Girl" in its Class 9 Arts Education textbook, putting Harappan artefacts back in the news.

Dancing Girl: a bronze figurine from Mohenjo-daro, belonging to the Harappan civilization (also called the Indus Valley or Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization), dated roughly 2600-1900 BCE; discovered in 1926 during excavations led by John Marshall; now housed at the National Museum, New Delhi.
How it was made: lost-wax casting — molten metal poured into a mould built around a wax model; the figurine is about 10.8 cm tall, shows a bare torso with bangles on both arms and a hand-on-hip pose.
Priest-King Sculpture (Mohenjo-daro, made of steatite stone): points to an elite class and sophisticated sculpting skill in Harappan society.
Pashupati Seal (Mohenjo-daro): shows a three-faced deity seated amid animals, often read as a possible proto-Shiva image reflecting early religious beliefs.
Harappan seals: carry a still-undeciphered pictographic script written in "boustrophedon" style (lines alternate direction — right-to-left, then left-to-right); used mainly for trade and administrative control.
Other finds: terracotta Mother Goddess figurines (fertility worship), fire altars at Kalibangan and Lothal (ritual use), standardized stone weights at Dholavira (trade), and evidence that Harappans alloyed copper with tin to make bronze tools and figurines.

2600-1900 BCEHarappan civilization period

10.8 cmheight of the Dancing Girl figurine

1926year of its discovery

Background

The Harappan/Indus Valley civilization flourished roughly 2600-1900 BCE across present-day Pakistan and northwest India. It is known for planned urban layouts, extensive trade networks, standardized weights and measures, and a script that remains undeciphered despite thousands of recovered seals and inscriptions.

Mains practice questionDiscuss what Harappan artefacts such as seals, sculptures and craft objects reveal about the social, economic and religious life of the Indus Valley civilization.

Gyan Bharatam Mission Both

Why in news: the Gyan Bharatam National Survey of Manuscripts has successfully mapped over 1 crore manuscripts from across the country.

Launch: announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, with a financial outlay of Rs 491.66 crore for 2025-2031, under the Ministry of Culture.
What it replaces: restructures the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), set up in 2003, into a Central Sector Scheme with a much bigger budget and mandate.
Key components: a nationwide network of Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs, for identifying and documenting manuscripts) and strengthened Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs, for restoration), plus a National Digital Repository.
Progress so far: over 44.07 lakh manuscripts documented through the digital repository Kriti Sampada; a new software, Manus Granthavali, ensures accurate, uniform documentation.
Five pillars: Survey & Cataloguing; Conservation & Capacity Building; Technology & Digitization; Linguistics & Translation; and Research, Publication & Outreach.
What counts as a manuscript: a handwritten text on material like palm leaf, birch bark (bhurja patra), cloth, paper or metal, at least 75 years old; India's manuscript wealth is estimated at over 5 million works.
UNESCO recognition: the Memory of the World Programme (which honours documentary heritage of global significance) has listed Indian manuscripts including the Rigveda (2007), the Gilgit Manuscripts (2017 — India's oldest surviving manuscripts, in birch bark), and the Natyashastra and Bhagavad Gita (2025).

Rs 491.66 croutlay for 2025-2031

1 crore+manuscripts mapped

44.07 lakhmanuscripts documented on Kriti Sampada

Mains practice questionHow does the preservation and digitisation of India's manuscript heritage under missions like Gyan Bharatam support the idea of Indian Knowledge Systems and cultural soft power?

GI Tags: Jharkhand Products and Khurasani Imli Prelims

Why in news: multiple products were granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags recently, including several from Jharkhand and Khurasani Imli from Madhya Pradesh.

What a GI tag is: a Geographical Indication protects products that come from a specific region and have qualities or a reputation linked to that origin, helping preserve traditional crafts and artisan livelihoods.
Bhagaiya Silk: a handloom saree tradition of Godda district, Jharkhand, combining silk, cotton, geecha yarn, mulberry katan and zari.
Kuchai Silk: a tussar (wild) silk produced by silkworms reared on Asan and Arjun trees, an old livelihood tradition in Jharkhand.
Munda jewellery and Bamboo Craft: celebrate the Munda tribal community's artistic traditions and support rural artisan livelihoods respectively.
Khurasani Imli: the fruit of the Baobab tree (the "Upside-down Tree," native to Africa), given a GI tag from Mandu, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh; rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, used in traditional medicine for digestive ailments.
About the Baobab: has a massive water-storing trunk and leafless, root-like branches, is highly drought-resistant, and is a keystone species (one with an outsized ecological impact relative to its population); found in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) Both

Why in news: India and China are in talks over a joint UNESCO nomination for Xuanzang's travelogue, "The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions".

Who he was: Hiuen Tsang (629-645 CE) was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller and translator of the Tang dynasty period, famous for a 16-year pilgrimage to India.
In India: he visited the court of King Harshavardhana, took part in religious debates at Kannauj, and studied at Nalanda Mahavihara (an ancient centre of learning) under the monk Shilabhadra.
What his writings tell us: details of Harsha's empire (including harsh punishments for crime), an incident of highway robbery, trade routes and border duties, and a detailed account of how Nalanda University functioned.
Why it matters today: his travelogue is a key primary source for 7th-century Indian history, and it is now the subject of a possible joint India-China UNESCO nomination.

Mains practice questionAssess the value of foreign travellers' accounts, such as Xuanzang's, as primary sources for reconstructing early medieval Indian history, and their relevance to India's cultural diplomacy today.

Udant Martand Prelims

Why in news: Hindi Journalism Day is celebrated on 30 May to mark the first publication of "Udant Martand", the world's first Hindi newspaper.

What it was: Udant Martand, meaning "the Rising Sun," was published in Calcutta in 1826 under editor Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla, a lawyer from Kanpur.
How it started: on 16 February 1826, Shukla, along with Munnu Thakur of Banstala Gali, Calcutta, obtained government permission to launch the newspaper.
Significance: it marked the beginning of Hindi journalism in India, promoted Hindi as a language of public communication, and became a symbol of cultural identity and national awakening under British rule.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Prelims

Why in news: the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna), Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar), and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2024 and 2025 were announced.

Establishment: set up in 1953 as India's apex national institution for preserving and promoting music, dance and drama.
Status: an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
Leadership: its Chairman is appointed by the President of India for a five-year term.
Honours conferred: Akademi Ratna (Fellowship) for lifetime achievement, Akademi Puraskar (Awards) for outstanding artists, and the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for promising young artists.

Gallantry Awards Prelims

Why in news: the President of India presented Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces and Police personnel.

Purpose and authority: given for acts of bravery, valour and self-sacrifice in wartime and peacetime, conferred by the President of India as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Timing: officially announced twice a year, on the eve of Republic Day (26 January) and Independence Day (15 August); the Ministry of Defence invites recommendations from the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Wartime awards (highest to lowest): Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra — instituted 26 January 1950, with effect from 15 August 1947.
Peacetime awards (highest to lowest): Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra — instituted 4 January 1952, with effect from 15 August 1947; originally named Ashoka Chakra Class I, II and III but renamed in 1967.

India's Cultural Heritage Conservation: 12 Years in Review Both

Why in news: over the past 12 years, the government has focused on conserving and promoting India's heritage as part of its civilisational identity and soft-power diplomacy.

Key schemes: Adopt a Heritage 2.0 (lets companies/NGOs develop visitor facilities at protected monuments using CSR funds); the PRASHAD Scheme (pilgrimage and heritage tourism infrastructure, running since 2015); and Swadesh Darshan (thematic tourism circuits — heritage, spiritual, coastal, Buddhist, tribal).
ASI's reach: the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protects 3,686 centrally protected monuments (as of April 2026) through about 38 regional Circles.
Documentation drive: the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) has documented 1.84 lakh monuments and 17.20 lakh antiquities.
Repatriation of stolen heritage: the Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha were returned in 2025 after 127 years abroad; overall, 653 antiquities have been recovered since 2014 (613 of them in just the last five years) from countries like the UK, USA and Australia.
New museums: the Archaeological Experiential Museum at Vadnagar, Gujarat (opened January 2025, India's first of its kind, built at a cost of Rs 298 crore, displaying 5,000+ artefacts); and the upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum in Delhi's North and South Blocks, which will showcase India's full civilisational journey.

3,686centrally protected monuments

653antiquities recovered since 2014

Rs 298 crcost of Vadnagar museum

Mains practice questionExamine how heritage conservation and the repatriation of antiquities function as instruments of India's soft power and cultural diplomacy.

International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2026 Both

Why in news: on the 12th International Day of Yoga (21 June 2026), the Ministry of Ayush's "Yoga Sangam" portal recorded over 6 lakh organisations registering to perform yoga simultaneously with the Prime Minister.

2026 theme: "Yoga for Healthy Ageing," aligned with the WHO's Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).
Origins: the UN General Assembly adopted an India-led resolution in 2014 declaring 21 June (the Summer Solstice) as International Day of Yoga.
First IDY (2015): held at Rajpath, New Delhi, it set two Guinness World Records — the largest yoga class (35,985 participants) and the most nationalities in one yoga session (84).
Historical roots: yoga traces back to the Indus Valley period (as suggested by the Pashupati Seal) and the Vedic/Upanishadic period, was systematised through Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and was popularised globally later by figures like Swami Vivekananda and B.K.S. Iyengar.
Soft power angle: India's "yoga diplomacy" builds global goodwill and is also used to counter China's promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including through medical and wellness tourism under the "Heal in India" initiative.

12thedition of International Day of Yoga

6 lakh+organisations registered on Yoga Sangam

2014UN resolution declaring 21 June as IDY

Mains practice questionDiscuss how India has used yoga as a tool of soft power and cultural diplomacy on the global stage.

V.V.S. Aiyar (Freedom Fighter) Prelims

Why in news: the Vice President paid homage to V.V.S. Aiyar on his death anniversary (3 June).

Early life and revolutionary work: born in Tiruchirappalli in 1881; joined the revolutionary India House in London and worked with V.D. Savarkar's Abhinav Bharat Society; fled to French Pondicherry in 1910, where he formed a revolutionary trio with Subramania Bharati and Aurobindo Ghosh.
Role in the Ashe assassination: secretly trained Vanchinathan, who assassinated British Collector Robert Ashe in 1911.
Literary contribution: known as the "Father of the Tamil Short Story"; translated the Thirukkural and Kamba Ramayanam into English.
Death: died in 1925 while trying to save his daughter from drowning.

⚡ Quick Facts

Rakhigarhi (Haryana): human skeletal remains from this Harappan-era site — one of the largest Indus Valley sites — were formally handed to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) for study.

Nalanda Mahavihara: ancient university where Xuanzang studied; it also housed thousands of manuscripts on Buddhist philosophy, mathematics and astronomy.

Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972: bans export of manuscripts/antiquities over 75 years old by anyone other than the Central Government.

Abhilekh Patal: the National Archives of India's online portal, hosting over 38 lakh digitized archival files and manuscripts.

IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts): hosts digital manuscript archives and undertakes their conservation, cataloguing and research.

Chola Copper Plates: 11th-century plates returned by the Netherlands to India — an example of heritage repatriation and cultural diplomacy.

Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah: a 16th-century illustrated manuscript commissioned by Emperor Akbar, inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register in 2011.

Charaka Samhita & Sushruta Samhita: ancient Ayurveda manuscripts credited with spreading Ayurvedic medical knowledge abroad via trade routes.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

Where and when was the Harappan "Dancing Girl" figurine discovered?TAP

At Mohenjo-daro, in 1926, during excavations led by John Marshall; it is now at the National Museum, New Delhi.

Whom did V.V.S. Aiyar secretly train, and what did that person do?TAP

He trained Vanchinathan, who assassinated British Collector Robert Ashe in 1911.

What is the financial outlay of the Gyan Bharatam Mission (2025-2031)?TAP

Rs 491.66 crore, under the Ministry of Culture.

In what year was the National Mission for Manuscripts (now restructured as Gyan Bharatam) originally set up?TAP

2003.

Which GI-tagged fruit is called the "Upside-down Tree" fruit, and where from?TAP

Khurasani Imli, the fruit of the Baobab tree, given a GI tag from Mandu, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh.

At which ancient university did Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) study, and under whom?TAP

Nalanda Mahavihara, under the monk Shilabhadra.

In what year and city was Udant Martand, the world's first Hindi newspaper, published, and who edited it?TAP

1826, in Calcutta, edited by Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla.

What are India's highest wartime and highest peacetime gallantry awards?TAP

Param Vir Chakra (wartime) and Ashoka Chakra (peacetime).

Which relics were returned to India in 2025, and after how long abroad?TAP

The Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha, returned after 127 years abroad.

What is the theme of International Day of Yoga 2026?TAP

"Yoga for Healthy Ageing," aligned with the WHO's Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).

🧠 Quick Quiz

In what year was the Sangeet Natak Akademi established?

Answer: 1953.

Under which Act is the Sangeet Natak Akademi registered?

Answer: The Societies Registration Act, 1860.

Which four Jharkhand products recently received GI tags?

Answer: Bhagaiya Silk, Kuchai Silk, Munda jewellery, and Bamboo Craft.

What does the "boustrophedon" writing style seen on Harappan seals mean?

Answer: Writing that alternates direction line by line — right-to-left in one line, then left-to-right in the next.

What software was developed under the Gyan Bharatam Mission for standardized manuscript documentation?

Answer: Manus Granthavali.

Which Indian manuscripts were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World register in 2025?

Answer: The Natyashastra of Bharatamuni and the Bhagavad Gita.

When were India's wartime gallantry awards instituted, and from what effective date?

Answer: Instituted on 26 January 1950, with effect from 15 August 1947.

What makes the Archaeological Experiential Museum at Vadnagar, Gujarat notable?

Answer: It is India's first museum of its kind, opened in January 2025 at a cost of Rs 298 crore, displaying over 5,000 artefacts.

Which UN body declared 21 June as International Day of Yoga, and in what year?

Answer: The UN General Assembly, in 2014, via an India-led resolution.

What title is V.V.S. Aiyar known by for his contribution to Tamil literature?

Answer: The "Father of the Tamil Short Story."

📋

Schemes in News

Three welfare and reform schemes made news this month — health insurance goes nationwide, street vendor credit turns 6, and the food distribution system gets an AI-driven overhaul.

Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Both

Why in news: AB-PMJAY achieved nationwide coverage after West Bengal joined the scheme.

Launch: Launched in September 2018 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, in line with the National Health Policy (2017); it is one of four pillars of the Ayushman Bharat programme.
Four pillars of Ayushman Bharat: AB-PMJAY (health insurance); Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) for primary healthcare; Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), a digital health ecosystem built around the ABHA health ID; and PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) for strengthening health infrastructure.
Coverage: Covers 12 crore economically vulnerable families (about 55 crore beneficiaries), the bottom 40% of India's population, identified through the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011; it absorbed beneficiaries from the earlier Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).
Senior citizens: All citizens aged 70 and above get universal coverage through the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, regardless of their income or social category.
Benefits: Cashless hospital cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, covering consultation, medicines, diagnostics, surgery, ICU care and implants; also covers 3 days of pre-hospitalisation and 15 days of post-hospitalisation expenses, and pre-existing diseases from Day One.
Reach: No limit on family size, age or gender; treatment is portable nationwide across empanelled hospitals, spanning 1,961 treatment packages in 27 medical specialties.
Implementation: Run by the National Health Authority (NHA) with States/UTs, through a digital platform centred on the Ayushman Card.
Achievements (as of February 2026): 43.52 crore Ayushman Cards issued (including 1.14 crore Vay Vandana Cards); 36,229 empanelled hospitals (19,483 public, 16,746 private); 11.69 crore hospital admissions authorised; Rs 1.73 lakh crore worth of cashless treatment provided.

12 crfamilies covered

₹5 lakhcover per family/year

36,229empanelled hospitals

Background

AB-PMJAY was launched in September 2018 under the Ayushman Bharat programme, aligned with the National Health Policy 2017, to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and cut Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) on healthcare in India. It built on and absorbed beneficiaries from the earlier Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).

Mains practice questionExamine the role of AB-PMJAY in India's progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). What challenges remain in reducing out-of-pocket health expenditure for vulnerable households?

PM SVANidhi Scheme (6 Years) Prelims

Why in news: The scheme completed 6 years since its launch on 1 June 2020 as a Covid-era support measure for street vendors.

Full name: PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) — "AtmaNirbhar" meaning self-reliant.
Purpose: Launched to help street vendors resume livelihoods disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic by giving them access to formal credit.
Loan structure: Offers collateral-free micro-loans in rising tranches — Rs 10,000, then Rs 20,000, then Rs 50,000 — with a 7% interest subsidy for timely repayment.
Digital benefit: Vendors get a UPI (Unified Payments Interface)-linked RuPay Credit Card of up to Rs 30,000 after their second loan.
6-year achievements: Over 1.12 crore loans disbursed to more than 75.5 lakh vendors; about 95% of them accessed formal credit for the first time; 46% of beneficiaries are women.
Extension: The scheme has been extended up to March 2030.
Convergence: The "SVANidhi se Samriddhi" component links beneficiaries to 8 other welfare schemes, such as the Jan Dhan Yojana and the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY).

1.12 cr+loans disbursed

75.5 lakh+vendors covered

46%women beneficiaries

SARTHAK-PDS Scheme Both

Why in news: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the SARTHAK-PDS Scheme, worth Rs 25,530 crore for 2026-31, to modernise India's Public Distribution System (PDS) using AI, blockchain and data tools.

Approval: Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) with an outlay of Rs 25,530 crore for the period 2026-31.
Objective: To reduce leakage and diversion of subsidised food grain and improve last-mile delivery to beneficiaries.
Mechanism: Sets up State Command Centres for real-time tracking of food grain movement.
What is PDS: The Public Distribution System (PDS) is India's largest food-security programme, distributing subsidised food grain through Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Legal backing: Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, coverage extends to up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population; Antyodaya (poorest-of-the-poor) households get 35 kg of grain per month, while Priority households get 5 kg per person per month.
The problem: A November 2024 report found that 28% of PDS grain does not reach intended beneficiaries, while another report found more than 90 million eligible people are wrongly excluded — the twin problems SARTHAK-PDS aims to fix.

₹25,530 croutlay (2026-31)

28%grain not reaching beneficiaries

90 mn+eligible people excluded

Way forward

Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect anomalies in e-PoS (electronic Point of Sale) transaction data at Fair Price Shops.
Add biometric authentication using iris and fingerprint verification to curb diversion.
GPS-track grain transport vehicles for end-to-end supply chain visibility.

Mains practice questionDiscuss the role of technology-driven reforms in strengthening India's Public Distribution System. What challenges remain in ensuring inclusive and efficient food security delivery?

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

When was AB-PMJAY launched?TAP

September 2018, under Ayushman Bharat, aligned with the National Health Policy 2017.

What is the annual health cover under AB-PMJAY?TAP

Cashless hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year.

Which agency implements AB-PMJAY?TAP

The National Health Authority (NHA), in partnership with States/UTs.

What are the four pillars of Ayushman Bharat?TAP

AB-PMJAY, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).

What does PM SVANidhi stand for, and when was it launched?TAP

PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi; launched 1 June 2020.

What are the loan tranches under PM SVANidhi?TAP

Rs 10,000 → Rs 20,000 → Rs 50,000, collateral-free, with a 7% interest subsidy for timely repayment.

Who approved SARTHAK-PDS and with what outlay?TAP

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA); Rs 25,530 crore for 2026-31.

Under NFSA 2013, how much grain do Antyodaya households get?TAP

35 kg per month (Priority households get 5 kg per person per month).

🧠 Quick Quiz

What share of India's population does AB-PMJAY target as its beneficiary base?

Answer: The bottom 40% of India's population — about 12 crore families, or roughly 55 crore beneficiaries.

Which card gives senior citizens aged 70+ universal AB-PMJAY coverage irrespective of income?

Answer: The Ayushman Vay Vandana Card.

Which survey/database was used to identify AB-PMJAY's beneficiary families?

Answer: The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2011.

How many hospitals were empanelled under AB-PMJAY as of February 2026?

Answer: 36,229 hospitals (19,483 public and 16,746 private).

What digital financial benefit do PM SVANidhi vendors get after their second loan?

Answer: A UPI (Unified Payments Interface)-linked RuPay Credit Card of up to Rs 30,000.

What is "SVANidhi se Samriddhi"?

Answer: A component that links PM SVANidhi beneficiaries to 8 other welfare schemes, such as the Jan Dhan Yojana and the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY).

What technologies will SARTHAK-PDS use to plug leakages in the food distribution system?

Answer: Artificial Intelligence (AI) for anomaly detection in e-PoS data, blockchain, iris and fingerprint biometric authentication, and GPS-tracking of grain transport vehicles.

According to a November 2024 report, what percentage of PDS grain fails to reach intended beneficiaries?

Answer: 28%.

📍

Places & Facts for Prelims

A rapid-fire roundup of places, indices, awards, important days and summits from June 2026 — high-yield for Prelims.

India's GDP Growth Accelerates to 7.7% Prelims

Why in news: Provisional GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates for FY 2025-26 were released, showing an acceleration in India's growth rate.

Headline number: India's GDP growth rose to 7.7% in FY 2025-26, up from 7.1% in FY25.
Sector-wise growth: Manufacturing grew 10.7%; services grew 11%.
Outlook: The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) projects growth may moderate to 6.6% in FY27.

🌏 Places in News

Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand): India-China border trade through this pass resumed after a 6-year gap.

Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh): declared India's 100th Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance).

Arunachal Pradesh: a devastating cloudburst triggered massive landslides and flash floods.

Rakhigarhi (Haryana): human skeletal remains from this major Harappan-era site were formally handed to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) for study.

Nathu La Pass (Sikkim): the first batch of pilgrims crossed into China through this pass as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra began.

Sariska Tiger Reserve (Alwar, Rajasthan): a national workshop marked 18 years of successful scientific tiger reintroduction.

Sikhna Jhwhwlao National Park (Assam): seven Golden Langurs rescued from an interstate wildlife-trafficking network were released here.

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): hosted the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting, which adopted the BRICS Indore Declaration.

Jharkhand: granted GI (Geographical Indication) tags to 11 traditional products, including Bhagaiya Silk, Kuchai Silk (Saree), Munda Jewellery, Bamboo Craft and Dokra Craft — spotlighting tribal art and craft.

Odisha: site of India's first commercial-scale Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate project; foundation stone to be laid by the PM.

Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (Tamil Nadu): provides long-term data and insights into the Solar Cycle.

Kerala: launched India's first judiciary-integrated wildlife-crime tracking system ("HAWK"), now also adopted by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

Zojila Tunnel (Kashmir-Ladakh): achieved its final construction breakthrough — a ~13-14 km high-altitude tunnel giving all-weather connectivity via Zojila Pass, ending winter closures.

Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan): India's largest saline wetland (a Ramsar site since 1990); satellite data show it shrinking due to rainfall dependence and nearby industrial salt-pan expansion.

7th Regional Meteorological Centre (Jammu): inaugurated to cover J&K, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, improving Himalayan weather forecasting and disaster warnings.

Assam-Meghalaya Border: the Tapat-Lapangap dispute is an ongoing inter-state border issue between the two states (covered in more depth in the Nation & States section).

Norway (Capital: Oslo): announced a near-total ban on AI (Artificial Intelligence) use in elementary schools.

Netherlands (Capital: Amsterdam): hosted the 4th India-Netherlands Cyber Dialogue, held in New Delhi.

Ukraine (Capital: Kyiv): struck five ships allegedly carrying illegal cargo in the Sea of Azov.

Mongolia (Capital: Ulaanbaatar): India will join the 23rd edition of the Khaan Quest 2026 military exercise at Five Hills Training Area.

United Kingdom (Capital: London): riots broke out in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

France (Capital: Paris): the Indian PM attended the 2026 G7 (Group of Seven) Leaders' Summit at Evian.

Cambodia (Capital: Phnom Penh): NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) partnered with ACLEDA Bank to launch UPI (Unified Payments Interface) acceptance.

Guatemala (Capital: Guatemala City): the Volcan de Fuego volcano erupted violently.

Venezuela (Capital: Caracas): hit by a massive seismic doublet (a pair of major earthquakes).

Bolivia (Admin. capital La Paz; Constitutional capital Sucre): declared a state of emergency amid protests.

Armenia (Capital: Yerevan): the Prime Minister's party won the parliamentary polls.

Ethiopia (Capital: Addis Ababa): the Indian PM congratulated PM Abiy Ahmed Ali and the Prosperity Party on their electoral victory.

Qatar (Capital: Doha): an explosion at the Ras Laffan Industrial City LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) facility killed 12 Indian nationals.

Philippines (Capital: Manila): a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao, causing a small tsunami; the country lies on the seismically active "Pacific Ring of Fire" (~75% of world's volcanoes, ~90% of earthquakes).

Bangladesh (Capital: Dhaka): China and Bangladesh agreed to develop an economic zone near Mongla Port; Bangladesh also approved a barrage on the Padma river (its stretch of the Ganga) to fight water scarcity from reduced upstream Farakka Barrage flows — relevant to the 1996 Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty with India.

Seychelles (Capital: Victoria): the Indian PM concluded a three-day State Visit.

Zimbabwe (Capital: Harare): India and Zimbabwe held their first-ever Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting to deepen defence cooperation.

Estonia (Capital: Tallinn): a Baltic state bordering Russia and Latvia (EU and NATO member) seeking deeper trade, defence and cybersecurity ties with India.

Lake Chad Basin (Africa): the jihadist group ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) has overtaken Boko Haram as the most powerful militant group in this shrinking transboundary lake region spanning Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Beaufort Castle (Lebanon): Israeli forces captured this 900-year-old Crusader-era hilltop fortress in southern Lebanon during operations against Hezbollah.

📊 Reports & Indices

World Gold Council (WGC) Survey 2026: central banks nearly doubled gold purchases to ~1,000 tonnes/year over the past 4 years, for crisis protection and inflation hedging, amid expectations the US dollar's share of global reserves will gradually decline.

India Tops Global Heat-Vulnerability List: an Oxford University study found India has 14 of the world's 50 most heat-vulnerable cities (of 205 studied) — Ahmedabad ranks 2nd globally, Nagpur 4th; risk factors include slums, poor ventilation and low tree cover.

Logistics Port Performance Index (LPPI) FY 2024-25: India improved from 44th to 22nd in the World Bank's International Shipments ranking; 7 Indian ports feature in the world's top 100 ports (CPPI 2024).

Anti-Dumping Duty Report: non-implementation of recommended anti-dumping duties on 56 products cost Indian industry an estimated Rs 11,938 crore in annual losses; India is one of the world's largest users of anti-dumping duties, mostly against Chinese imports.

Rise of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): NCDs caused 60% of all deaths in India during 2022-2024 (up from 52.8% in 2015-17); cardiovascular disease alone caused 32.1% of all deaths.

🏆 Awards & Honours

Srishti Kiran (Bengaluru): became World No.1 in the Under-13 category of ITF (International Tennis Federation) Junior World Rankings.

Major Abhilasha Barak: an Indian peacekeeper with UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) and the Indian Army's first woman combat helicopter pilot, won the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award — only the third Indian to win it.

2026 Padma Awards: the President conferred a second set of 65 Padma Awards; notable Padma Bhushan awardees include Vijay Amritraj, Mammootty and Shibu Soren (posthumous); notable Padma Shri awardees include Rohit Sharma, Savita Punia, R. Madhavan and Satish Shah (posthumous).

📅 Important Days

International Sickle Cell Day (19 June): India reaffirmed its goal to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCEM, launched 2023, targets tribal populations).

World Refugee Day (20 June, theme "Until Everyone Is Safe"): marks the 1951 Refugee Convention; the "Principle of Non-Refoulement" bars sending refugees back to a country where their life/freedom is at risk; there are ~41.6 million refugees worldwide (UNHCR, end-2025).

Birsa Munda's Death Anniversary (9 June): the tribal freedom fighter led the "Ulgulan" (Great Tumult) movement against British rule and land alienation in present-day Jharkhand; his birth anniversary (15 Nov) is observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.

Ahilyabai Holkar's Birth Anniversary (31 May): the Holkar-dynasty ruler of Indore (18th century) rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath temples, opposed sati and promoted women's education.

Veer Savarkar's Birth Anniversary (28 May): revolutionary nationalist who founded the Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society, authored "The Indian War of Independence, 1857," and shaped the ideology of "Hindutva."

🤝 Summits & Conferences

SAPLING Dialogue 2026 (Ahmedabad): India and the World Bank Group discussed boosting food processing in South Asia — India's food processing level rose from 10% (2016) to 17% (2023) of output.

73rd North Eastern Council (NEC) Plenary Meeting: focused on multi-sectoral development for the Northeast under Viksit Bharat 2047; NEC budget rose from Rs 1,000 crore (2022-23) to Rs 6,500 crore (2026-27).

India's BRICS Chairship 2026: India holds the BRICS chair for the 4th time (after 2012, 2016, 2021); theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"; India hosted the 16th BRICS National Security Advisers' meeting in New Delhi, chaired by NSA Ajit Doval.

National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2026: India's foodgrain production reached a record 376.563 million tonnes in 2025-26.

🗂️ Quick Flashcards

Which Indian wetland became India's 100th Ramsar site?TAP

Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh.

Which pass in Sikkim did pilgrims cross for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?TAP

Nathu La Pass.

Skeletal remains from which Harappan-era Haryana site were handed to AnSI?TAP

Rakhigarhi (handed to the Anthropological Survey of India).

Which country announced a near-total ban on AI use in elementary schools?TAP

Norway (Capital: Oslo).

What was India's provisional GDP growth rate for FY 2025-26?TAP

7.7% (up from 7.1% in FY25).

Who won the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award?TAP

Major Abhilasha Barak — India's first woman combat helicopter pilot, serving with UNIFIL.

On which date is World Refugee Day observed, and what is the 2026 theme?TAP

20 June; theme "Until Everyone Is Safe."

Which two Indian cities top Oxford University's heat-vulnerability rankings?TAP

Ahmedabad (2nd globally) and Nagpur (4th globally).

Which tunnel's final breakthrough gives Kashmir-Ladakh all-weather connectivity?TAP

Zojila Tunnel (~13-14 km, via Zojila Pass).

How many times has India held the BRICS chairship, as of 2026?TAP

4th time (after 2012, 2016, 2021).

Which Rajasthan wetland is India's largest saline wetland and a Ramsar site since 1990?TAP

Sambhar Lake.

Whose death anniversary (9 June) marks the leader of the "Ulgulan" movement?TAP

Birsa Munda.

🧠 Quick Quiz

Which country has two capitals — La Paz (administrative) and Sucre (constitutional)?

Answer: Bolivia.

The 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting adopted which declaration, and where was it held?

Answer: The BRICS Indore Declaration, held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Which Indian tiger reserve marked 18 years of scientific tiger reintroduction in 2026?

Answer: Sariska Tiger Reserve (workshop held in Alwar, Rajasthan).

What wildlife-crime tracking system did Kerala launch, later adopted by three more states?

Answer: The "HAWK" system, adopted by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

Which Indian organisation partnered with Cambodia's ACLEDA Bank to launch UPI acceptance?

Answer: NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India).

Which Indian city hosted the 2026 SAPLING Dialogue with the World Bank Group on food processing?

Answer: Ahmedabad.

What share of all deaths in India (2022-24) were caused by Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)?

Answer: 60% (cardiovascular disease alone caused 32.1%).

In which Indian city was the 7th Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) inaugurated?

Answer: Jammu (covering J&K, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh).

Which militant group overtook Boko Haram as the most powerful group in the Lake Chad Basin?

Answer: ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province).

Which volcano in Guatemala recently erupted violently?

Answer: Volcan de Fuego.

Whose birth anniversary (31 May) marks the 18th-century Holkar ruler who rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath temples?

Answer: Ahilyabai Holkar.

Which Indian player became World No.1 in the Under-13 category of ITF Junior World Rankings?

Answer: Srishti Kiran (Bengaluru).