NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India–UK Free Trade Agreement to Come into Force on 15 July 2026: The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will enter into force on 15 July 2026, after being signed on 24 July 2025, with both countries completing all domestic and procedural formalities on 17 June 2026. Under the agreement, India will reduce whisky tariffs from 150% to 40% and automotive tariffs from 100% to 10% (under a quota system), while the UK will lower tariffs on Indian exports such as clothing, footwear, and selected food products. The FTA is expected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually in the long term and contribute £4.8 billion to the UK economy, with businesses set to begin trading under the new rules from 15 July 2026.
2. NHAI Launches Rajasthan’s First MLFF-Based Tolling System: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched Rajasthan’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF)-based tolling system at the Daulatpura Toll Plaza on the Delhi–Jaipur section of NH-48, enabling barrier-free toll collection. The MLFF system combines Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology with FASTag-based electronic toll collection, allowing vehicles to pass through toll plazas without stopping and with minimal human intervention. The system reduces waiting time, fuel consumption, and vehicular emissions, while improving traffic flow. NHAI also plans to upgrade the Shahjahanpur and Manoharpur toll plazas on NH-48 to the MLFF system for seamless commuting.
3. PhonePe Introduces ₹100 Quarterly Fee for Inactive Wallets: PhonePe has introduced a wallet inactivity maintenance fee of ₹100 per quarter for inactive wallets, with the amount being deducted from the existing wallet balance. A PhonePe Wallet will be classified as inactive if no financial transaction is made through the wallet for 365 consecutive days. Activities such as UPI payments, bill payments, app logins, non-wallet transactions, or KYC updates do not count as wallet activity. Before levying the fee, PhonePe will notify users multiple times over a 15-day period and provide steps to reactivate the wallet. If the wallet balance is less than ₹100, the remaining balance will be deducted, but the wallet balance will never become negative.
4. BSE Launches Saatvik 100 Index: BSE Index Services Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSE Ltd., launched the BSE Saatvik 100 recently. The index is India’s first Saatvik index and it tracks 100 companies selected from the broader BSE 500 Index on the basis of defined Saatvik principles. The index can act as a benchmark for passive investment products in India. These products include Exchange-Traded Funds, index funds, Portfolio Management Services, and mutual fund schemes. The index is designed for investors who follow value-based and philosophy-driven investment principles.
5. India Declares Naxalism Effectively Ended: India became effectively free from Naxalism on 31 March 2026, after nearly six decades of Left-Wing Extremism in several parts of central and eastern India. The movement began with the Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal in 1967 and later came under the banner of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Left-Wing Extremism, or LWE, refers to armed insurgent activity influenced by Maoist ideology and revolutionary politics. The Red Corridor is the term used for districts affected by Naxal violence across states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
6. Supreme Court Declares Footpath Walking a Fundamental Right: The Supreme Court of India declared the freedom to walk on demarcated and well-maintained footpaths a fundamental right on 19 June 2026. The ruling linked this right with Article 19(1)(d), Article 19(1)(a), Article 19(1)(b), Article 19(1)(c), and Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Article 19(1)(d) guarantees the right to move freely throughout the territory of India. Article 21 protects life and personal liberty, and the judgment treated safe pedestrian movement as part of these constitutional protections. The bench stated that the movement of motorised vehicles cannot override the right of pedestrians to use footpaths that are demarcated and maintained.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. UAE Launches First Retail T-Sukuk Programme: T-Sukuk are Islamic financial certificates that represent ownership in an underlying asset, project, or investment activity. The UAE Retail T-Sukuk is issued by the Government of the UAE through the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE. The instrument is denominated in UAE dirhams and carries a maturity period of two years. The first issuance opens for subscription at 8 am on 24 June 2026 and closes at 5 pm on 30 June 2026. Eligible investors must hold a valid Emirates ID and a valid Dubai Financial Market National Investor Number. Professional investors are excluded from this retail programme. The minimum investment amount is Dh1,000.
2. Centre Reaffirms Article 371 Safeguards for Ladakh: Ladakh is under discussion for constitutional safeguards under Article 371, a group of special provisions in the Constitution of India that apply to selected States and regions. The Ministry of Home Affairs held a sub-committee meeting on Ladakh on 22 May 2026 with representatives of the Ladakh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. Article 371 belongs to Part XXI of the Constitution of India, which contains special provisions for certain States. Article 371 and its related clauses, such as Article 371A, Article 371F and Article 371G, provide region-specific constitutional arrangements for land, employment, culture, and administrative matters in some States.
3. QS World University Rankings 2027: The QS World University Rankings 2027 were released in June 2026 and assessed more than 1,500 institutions across 106 countries and territories. Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked first for the 15th consecutive year, while Imperial College London and Stanford University shared second place. The QS World University Rankings are annual global university rankings published by Quacquarelli Symonds. The rankings use indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, and international student ratio.
4. Average 30,500 Pedestrians Died Annually in Road Accidents Between 2019 and 2024: More than 180,000 pedestrians were killed in road crashes across India between 2019 and 2024, with an average of over 30,500 deaths a year. The National Highway network accounted for nearly 31% of all pedestrian fatalities in India during the same period. In 2024, 7,080 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, while the Governors Highway Safety Association projected 7,148 deaths for the same year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded a 3.9% decline from 2023, and 2024 became the second consecutive year of decrease.
5. BRICS MSME Forum Calls for Stronger Cooperation: The Inaugural BRICS MSME Forum 2026 was held in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on 19-20 June 2026 under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. The forum brought together representatives from BRICS member and partner countries to discuss cooperation in the MSME sector. BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies, and MSME refers to micro, small and medium enterprises. The BRICS MSME Forum is linked to policy discussions on finance, technology, sustainability, entrepreneurship development, and market access for small businesses.
6. India Targets Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination by 2047: India has set a national target to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047 under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission. The mission was launched on 1 July 2023 from Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh and covers screening, diagnosis, counselling, and care for affected populations. Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited blood disorder caused by abnormal haemoglobin, known as haemoglobin S. The disease can cause red blood cells to become rigid and sickle-shaped, which affects oxygen transport in the body. Sickle cell disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, and carriers may not show symptoms.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Ex-Agniveers Get 20% Reservation in Delhi Government Jobs: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu directed a 20% reservation for ex-Agniveers in Group ‘C’ posts in Delhi government departments and agencies on 18 June 2026. The order covers direct recruitment in operational services, including police constables, firemen, jail warders, and forest and wildlife guards. The Delhi administration set 30 June 2026 as the deadline for departments to complete the required changes in their Recruitment Rules. The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and attended by Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma and Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha.
2. Three New Naval Warships to Join Indian Navy: The Indian Navy will commission three indigenously built warships on 21 June 2026 in Kolkata. The vessels are INS Dunagiri, INS Agray and INS Sanshodhak, and all three were designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. INS Dunagiri is the fifth stealth frigate under Project 17A and the second ship of this class built by GRSE. Project 17A frigates are guided-missile warships designed for surface warfare, anti-air warfare and anti-submarine warfare. INS Dunagiri carries BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, advanced air defence systems and anti-submarine weapons. Project 17A is a follow-on programme to the Shivalik-class frigates and includes stealth features, modern sensors and integrated combat systems.
3. Defence Ministry Signs Gas Turbine Contract for Navy: The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Forge Limited on 19 June 2026 for the procurement of 12 sets of 1.25 MW Marine Gas Turbine Generators for the Indian Navy. The contract value is about Rs 425 crore, and the agreement was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. Marine gas turbine generators are onboard power generation systems used on warships and other naval platforms. A gas turbine generator converts fuel energy into mechanical energy and then into electrical power for shipboard systems.
SPORTS
1. Mexico Becomes First Team to Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Knockout Round of 32: Mexico became the first team to qualify for the knockout Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating South Korea 1–0 at Guadalajara Stadium, Mexico. The match remained goalless in the first half, with the decisive goal coming in the 50th minute when Luis Romo capitalized on a defensive error involving South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and defender Lee Gi-hyuk.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. H5 Bird Flu Detected in Western Australia: A suspected case of H5 bird flu was confirmed in a migratory wild seabird in Western Australia on 19 June 2026. The bird was a brown skua found at Cape Le Grand National Park near Esperance, about 700 km south-east of Perth, and it died on 14 June 2026. Western Australian authorities carried out preliminary testing on 18 June 2026, and the sample returned a suspected positive result for avian influenza. The sample was sent to the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong for confirmatory testing, with results expected on 20 June 2026. A second sick sub-Antarctic migratory bird, a giant petrel, was found in the same area and is also being tested for avian influenza.
2. Kudankulam Unit-5 Gets Reactor Vessel Installed: The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited completed the installation of the Reactor Pressure Vessel at Unit-5 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu. The 320-tonne vessel was installed after Major Equipment Erection clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board on 2 May 2026. The Reactor Pressure Vessel is the main pressure boundary of a nuclear reactor. It contains the reactor core, where nuclear fission takes place in a controlled environment. In pressurised water reactor designs, the vessel also supports the reactor internals and coolant circulation systems.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Centre Approves ₹22 Crore Support for Startups Under National Green Hydrogen Mission: The Central Government has approved the first tranche of ₹22 crore for nine startups under the ₹100 crore startup support programme of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) to promote innovation in the green hydrogen sector. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI) to facilitate certification and regulatory compliance under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India. Launched in 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore, the National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to achieve at least 5 million metric tonnes of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with several states already introducing dedicated green hydrogen policies.
2. PM to Disburse ₹2,400 Crore under PM-Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will disburse ₹2,400 crore under the PM-Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to benefit over 15 lakh beneficiaries. Since August 2025, the scheme has brought over 63 lakh employees into the formal workforce, with nearly 30% being women, while over 80% of the incentivised establishments are small enterprises employing fewer than 25 workers. Youth securing their first government job will receive an incentive of up to ₹15,000 in two installments, promoting employment generation and strengthening small and emerging enterprises.
3. PM Modi to Lay Foundation Stone for ₹25,016 Crore Coal Gasification Project in Odisha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for a ₹25,016 crore coal gasification project at Lakhanpur, Jharsuguda (Odisha). The project will be developed by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL), a joint venture of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Limited (CIL). The facility will be India’s first commercial-scale coal-to-ammonium nitrate plant, producing 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate per day using indigenously developed coal gasification technology by BHEL, strengthening India’s energy security and reducing import dependence. Spread across 350 acres, the project has received all statutory clearances and ₹1,350 crore under the government’s coal gasification incentive scheme. It is expected to serve as a model for future coal gasification projects in the country.
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