NATIONAL UPDATES:
PM SVANidhi Completes Six Years, Cabinet Extends Scheme Till 2030: PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) has completed six years of empowering street vendors through affordable collateral-free credit, digital inclusion and social security. PM SVANidhi (Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) was launched on 1 June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to provide collateral-free working capital loans to urban street vendors affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. The scheme promotes financial inclusion, digital transactions, and social security, enabling street vendors to restart and expand their businesses. PM SVANidhi is a Central Sector Scheme, meaning it is fully funded by the Government of India, and specifically targets urban street vendors across the country. In 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the restructuring and extension of the scheme, extending its lending period from 31 December 2024 to 31 March 2030.
South Coast Railway Becomes Fully Operational as India’s 18th Railway Zone from June 1: South Coast Railway (SCoR), headquartered in Visakhapatnam, became fully operational on 1 June 2026, making it India’s 18th railway zone. The new railway zone was constituted through a Ministry of Railways gazette notification issued on 4 May 2026, with Sandeep Mathur serving as its first General Manager. SCoR comprises four divisions—Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntakal, and Guntur—and oversees railway operations across Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Statistics Ministry Launches New IIP Series with 2022-23 Base Year: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will release the first monthly industrial growth data under the revised Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series with 2022-23 as the new base year, replacing 2011-12. This is the 10th revision of the IIP base year. The new series adds 120 new item groups (such as CCTV cameras, debit/credit cards, stents, vaccines, and aircraft parts) while removing 64 outdated items, resulting in a net addition of 56 item groups. The total number of item groups has increased from 405 to 463, improving the representation of modern industries, emerging technologies, and diversified industrial production. The new IIP series separately tracks electricity generation from renewable sources and expands coverage by including Gas Supply, Water Supply, Sewerage, and Waste Management activities, along with minor and rare-earth minerals in mining. Sectoral weights in the new IIP are based on the share of sectors in Gross Value Added (GVA) for FY 2022-23, while monthly IIP data will continue to be released on the 28th day of the following month at 4 PM.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches Month-Long ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ from Madhya Pradesh : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will launch the Khet Bachao Abhiyan from Raisen District on 1 June, with the campaign running till 30 June. The month-long campaign will focus on the balanced use of fertilizers, weather-related advisories for farmers, Panchayat-level participation, and direct delivery of government scheme benefits to villages. The campaign aims to extend the benefits of schemes such as Kisan Credit Card, PM-KISAN, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and Soil Health Card Scheme to farmers through coordinated district-level outreach.
Jal Shakti Ministry to Launch MAHA Water Initiative and BHARAT-WIN Portal at National Water R&D Workshop : The Ministry of Jal Shakti has organised a National Workshop on Research and Development in Water in New Delhi to strengthen India’s water research and innovation ecosystem, with the launch of the MAHA on Water Initiative focusing on water management, climate resilience, drinking water, and water-use efficiency.
The Ministry will launch an open call for Startups and MSMEs through the BHARAT-WIN Portal and introduce the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari: Catch the Rain Digital Platform to promote community-led water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge initiatives.
Five New Judges Appointed to Supreme Court, Raising Working Strength to 37: The President of India has appointed five new judges to the Supreme Court after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, raising the Court’s working strength to 37 judges, including the CJI. The newly appointed judges are Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli, and Venkita Subramani Mohana. The Centre had recently amended the law through an ordinance, increasing the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India)
2 June – Telangana Formation Day: Telangana Formation Day is observed every year on 2 June to commemorate the creation of Telangana as a separate state on 2 June 2014, following its bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh. Telangana became the 29th state of India after a long-standing statehood movement demanding separate identity, better governance, and regional development.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1 June – Global Day of Parents: Global Day of Parents is observed every year on 1 June to honour parents worldwide for their selfless commitment and lifelong dedication to nurturing and protecting children. Theme 2026 – Together for Parents The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to recognise the critical role of parents in the healthy development and well-being of children.
1 June – World Milk Day: World Milk Day is observed every year on 1 June to highlight the importance of milk as a global food and to recognise the dairy sector’s role in nutrition and livelihood. Theme 2026 – Celebrating Women Farmers. The day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to promote milk consumption and raise awareness about dairy farming and its benefits.
India to Launch Producer Price Index in 2026: India will launch a new Producer Price Index (PPI) series and a revised Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series on 15 June 2026 with base year 2022-23. The WPI and the PPI will run in parallel for five years before the WPI is discontinued. The Wholesale Price Index measures price changes at the wholesale level for goods. The Producer Price Index measures prices received by producers and covers output prices, input costs, and service-sector inflation. The new PPI framework will have three indices. These are Output PPI, Input PPI, and Service PPI. The Input PPI will begin as a trial for manufacturing, and the Service PPI will cover seven sectors, including Banking, Insurance, Railways, and Telecom.
Mother Dairy Launches Naturally Degradable Milk Pouch: Mother Dairy launched India’s first naturally degradable milk pouch on 2 June 2026. The rollout of the pouch begins in Delhi-NCR on
5 June 2026, which is World Environment Day. The new packaging will be used first for Mother Dairy’s cow milk variant in Delhi-NCR. Mother Dairy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The company sells about 55 lakh litres of milk daily across multiple states. Mother Dairy conducted more than four years of research to develop the new pouch. The pouch material is designed to transform into bioavailable wax. Microbes in soil break down the wax into natural elements within a few years. The pouch remains recyclable and is designed for packaging applications in the dairy sector.
Bangladesh Elected to Lead 81st UN General Assembly Session: Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly for its 81st session on 2 June 2026 at the General Assembly Hall in UN Headquarters, New York. He won 99 votes out of 190 ballots cast and defeated Andreas S. Kakouris of Cyprus, who received 91 votes. The President of the United Nations General Assembly is elected by member states for a one-year term. The 81st session will begin on 8 September 2026, and the presidency for this session was allocated to the Asia-Pacific Group under the UN’s regional rotation system. The President of the General Assembly presides over plenary meetings, manages the session’s agenda, and facilitates discussions among member states. The office is one of the principal positions in the UN system and is separate from the office of the UN Secretary-General.
South Korea’s KSTAR Sustains Plasma for 102 Seconds: KSTAR, or the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research device, sustained plasma in high-confinement mode for 102 seconds during experiments conducted from December 2023 to February 2024. The same experimental campaign recorded plasma at ion temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds, which set a new KSTAR record. High-confinement mode, or H-mode, is a plasma operating regime first identified in tokamak experiments in 1982. It is used in fusion research because it allows improved confinement of heat and particles inside the plasma. Plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius is a standard target temperature in magnetic fusion experiments involving deuterium-tritium fuel. KSTAR’s earlier record for maintaining 100 million degrees Celsius plasma was 30 seconds in 2021.
Pope Appoints First Lay Woman to Vatican Department: On 2 June 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado as Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See. She will become the first lay woman to head a dicastery of the Holy See and will assume office on 1 November 2026. The Dicastery for Communication was established by Pope Francis in 2015 as part of the reform of the Roman Curia. It oversees Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, and the Holy See Press Office. The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and assists the Pope in governing the Catholic Church. A dicastery is a department of the Roman Curia, and the term is used for major Vatican offices with specific administrative functions.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
Nausena Shaurya Vatika Inaugurated in Lucknow: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Nausena Shaurya Vatika in Lucknow, an open-air naval museum and interpretation centre. The museum showcases the achievements, heritage, and operational legacy of the Indian Navy and has been developed as Phase II of the Nausena Shaurya Sangrahalaya. Built jointly by the Indian Navy and the Uttar Pradesh Government, the museum features artifacts and weapon systems from INS Gomati, which was decommissioned in 2022 after 34 years of service.
DRDO and IAF Test RudraM-II Missile: India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Air Force conducted flight tests of the indigenous RudraM-II air-to-surface missile on 2 June 2026. The missile was launched from an IAF Su-30MKI fighter jet and engaged a predefined target after release. RudraM-II is an indigenously developed solid-propelled air-launched missile system. It is designed for air-to-surface strike missions against enemy assets and for precision-strike roles. The missile was tested under extreme release conditions and a critical trajectory. Flight data from range instruments at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, validated the performance of all critical subsystems.
SPORTS
Meghalaya Signs Host State Agreement for 39th National Games: Meghalaya signed the Host State Agreement for the 39th National Games, which will be hosted in the state in 2027, marking a major milestone in its sporting history. An Integrated Multipurpose Indoor Hall at the J.N. Sports Complex, Shillong was inaugurated as part of the celebrations to strengthen sports infrastructure in the state.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Retain IPL Title: Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their IPL title by defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium. Virat Kohli starred in the chase with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls and was named Player of the Match, while Washington Sundar scored an unbeaten 50 for Gujarat Titans. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named Most Valuable Player of the Season and won the Orange Cap with 776 runs, becoming the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner at 15 years and 65 days. He also secured the Emerging Player, Super Striker, and Super Sixes awards.
Satwik-Chirag Win Singapore Open Super 750 Title: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the Singapore Open Super 750 men’s doubles title, ending their two-year wait for an international title. Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya described the victory as a historic triumph for Indian badminton and another glorious chapter in India’s badminton journey.
Arjun Erigaisi Enters FIDE Top 10 Rankings : Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi is ranked No. 8 in the June 2026 FIDE ratings with an ELO rating of 2761. He is the only Indian player in the FIDE Top 10 rankings in the latest list. FIDE is the International Chess Federation, and it publishes official world chess ratings for standard, rapid, and blitz formats. The FIDE rating system uses ELO points to measure player strength and ranking position. Erigaisi returned to the Top 10 after gaining 10 rating points. His recent results included the Super Chess Classic Romania, TePe Sigeman 2026, and the Sardinia World Chess Festival. At the TePe Sigeman 2026 tournament, he finished runner-up after a tiebreak loss to Magnus Carlsen.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DRDO Successfully Tests High-Calibre Bomb in Haryana: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a high-calibre bomb test at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Ramgarh, Panchkula district, Haryana. The trial was carried out under the supervision of Indian Air Force officials and was completed successfully while strictly following all prescribed safety protocols. Extensive security measures were implemented, with a 2-km radius declared a sensitive zone, as bomb fragments were expected to travel up to 1.5 km during the test.
Lakshadweep Potato Patch Coral Colony Identified: A large Pavona clavus coral colony, locally called the “Potato Patch”, has been documented near Kadmat Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago. The colony covers about 4,250 square metres and has been described as one of the world’s largest known living coral formations of its kind. Pavona clavus is a massive reef-building coral species found in tropical marine waters. The Lakshadweep colony begins on the reef flat at a depth of 5.2 metres and extends down a steep slope to about 20 metres in south-eastern Kadmat waters. The colony’s area of 4,250 square metres is roughly half the size of an international football pitch. Preliminary estimates place its age between 700 and 1,800 years, and scientific dating is required for confirmation. A survey found 58.47% live coral tissue in the colony.
NASA Detects Methane on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: NASA and the European Space Agency announced methane detection on the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using the James Webb Space Telescope. The observation provides the first direct detection of methane in an interstellar object and the first mid-infrared chemical fingerprint of such a body. The James Webb Space Telescope is a space observatory launched by NASA with participation from the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Its Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI, records infrared wavelengths that are useful for studying cold dust, gases, and icy bodies in space. An interstellar object is a natural body that originates outside the Solar System and passes through it on a hyperbolic trajectory. 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
BANKING AND FINANCE
Centre Prepares Three-Year Anti-Narcotics Action Plan: India’s Union Home Ministry and central anti-narcotics agencies are preparing a three-year action plan to combat domestic drug cartels and overseas fugitives. The plan is linked to the goal of a Drug-Free India by 2047 and includes new enforcement verticals, intelligence coordination, and financial tracking measures. The Narcotics Control Bureau, or NCB, is the nodal central agency for drug law enforcement under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The NCB works with state police, customs, border forces, and maritime agencies under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, which regulates narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India. The revised plan was presented to the Home Minister in May 2026, and several components were already under implementation before formal approval. The strategy includes separate wings under state intelligence bureaus by the end of 2026 and dossiers on the top 15 drug lords in each state.
India’s Seafood Exports Touch Record $8.46 Billion: India’s seafood exports in fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26) reached 8.46 billion, or ₹73,890.46 crore, with a total export volume of 19,72,018 metric tonnes. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) confirmed the FY26 value on 1 June 2026, and earlier provisional data released on 21-22 April 2026 had placed the export value at 8.28 billion. Frozen shrimp remained the largest export item in FY26, earning $5,624.48 million, or ₹49,037.93 crore. Frozen shrimp accounted for 66.52% of total US dollar earnings from India’s seafood exports in FY26. The United States remained the largest importer of Indian seafood in FY26. Exports to the United States fell by 10.82% in rupee value and 14.22% in dollar value, while exports to China rose by 22.7% in value and 20.1% in volume.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
India’s Haj Mission Wins Prestigious Labbaytum Awards: India’s Haj Mission achieved a historic milestone by winning two prestigious Labbaytum Awards at the Khitamahu Misk ceremony held in Saudi Arabia. The awards were presented by the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah under the Best Haj Coordination and Communication category, recognizing India’s outstanding services for pilgrims. In 2026, around 1.75 lakh (175,000) Indian pilgrims performed the Haj, making India one of the largest contributors to the annual pilgrimage.
Odisha Selected for PM Surya Ghar Excellence Awards: Odisha was selected for the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Awards on 2 June 2026 for its performance during the Month of Solar campaign held in May 2026. The state ranked first among states with a medium number of consumers in three categories: highest number of applications, highest solar installations, and highest DISCOM inspections. PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is a central government scheme for rooftop solar power generation in India. The scheme aims to expand household-level solar adoption through installation-linked support and consumer participation.
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