NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Participates as Permanent Observer at 56th OAS General Assembly in Panama: India participated as a Permanent Observer in the 56th General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS), held in Panama City, Panama, with Ambassador Sumit Seth representing the country. The 56th OAS General Assembly was organised under the theme “The Americas United on the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama,” highlighting regional unity and cooperation across the Americas. India’s participation as a Permanent Observer reflects its commitment to strengthening diplomatic engagement and expanding political, economic, and multilateral cooperation with countries of the Americas.
2. MoRTH Signs MoU with BharatBenz to Accelerate Old Truck and Bus Replacement in Delhi-NCR: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (BharatBenz) under the Centre’s old truck and bus replacement scheme for the Delhi-NCR region. Under the agreement, BharatBenz will offer an 8% discount on the ex-showroom price of eligible trucks and buses, while the Central Government will provide a 5% interest subvention and monthly fuel vouchers for five years. Participating State Governments will offer up to 100% concession on motor vehicle tax for 10 years and waive registration fees for eligible beneficiaries to encourage replacement of old commercial vehicles.
3. NCERT Introduces 1975 Emergency Chapter in Class 9 Textbook for the First Time: The National Council of Educational Research and Training has introduced a chapter on the 1975 Emergency in its Class 9 Social Science textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, describing it as one of the major challenges to Indian democracy. This is the first time the Emergency has been included at the Class 9 level; previously, the topic was covered only in the Class 12 Political Science textbook. The textbook explains that rising unemployment, inflation, public dissatisfaction, and allegations of misgovernance led to widespread protests before the National Emergency was declared in June 1975 on the grounds of internal disturbance.
4. IRCTC Launches ‘Divine East Temple Tour’ on Bharat Gaurav Deluxe Tourist Train: IRCTC has launched the “Divine East Temple Tour” aboard the Bharat Gaurav Deluxe Tourist Train to promote pilgrimage, spiritual travel, and cultural tourism across eastern India. The 11-day rail tour will cover major religious and heritage destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, including Varanasi, Puri, Konark, Chilika, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Gangasagar, and Baidyanath Dham. The journey will commence from Safdarjung Railway Station, New Delhi, and conclude in Delhi on 5 October 2026, offering pilgrims a comprehensive spiritual tourism experience.
5. Gautam Adani Launches ‘Vande Bharatam’ to Empower Entrepreneurs and Grassroots Innovators Across India: Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani has launched ‘Vande Bharatam’, a nationwide initiative to identify, support, and nurture entrepreneurs, innovators, and grassroots changemakers across India. The programme aims to create an inclusive innovation ecosystem by covering all 36 States and Union Territories, over 800 districts, and enabling participation in multiple Indian languages. ‘Vande Bharatam’ seeks to empower local talent, encourage innovation at the grassroots level, and provide a national platform for transformative ideas with the potential to drive India’s development.
6. PM Modi Offers Assistance After Venezuela Earthquake: Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck western Venezuela on 24 June 2026. The epicentres were reported near Montalbán and Yumare, west of Caracas, and damage was reported in the Venezuelan capital. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in Venezuela on 25 June 2026. The main international airport at Maiquetia was closed after severe damage, and early reports mentioned at least 32 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The United States Geological Survey estimated that fatalities from the earthquakes could range from 10,000 to 100,000. Collapsed buildings were reported in Caracas, which is the capital of Venezuela.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Amazon Announces Additional USD 13 Billion Investment in India: Amazon has announced an additional investment of USD 13 billion in India, increasing its total planned investment to over USD 48 billion during the 2026–2030 period. The investment announcement was made by Andy Jassy, Global CEO of Amazon, after his meeting with Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The fresh investment is expected to strengthen Amazon’s e-commerce, cloud computing, logistics, digital infrastructure, and technology operations in India while creating new employment opportunities.
2. Bangladesh Joins International Big Cat Alliance as 27th Member Country: Bangladesh has joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as its 27th member country, strengthening international cooperation for big cat conservation. The IBCA, launched by India in 2024 and headquartered in New Delhi, aims to conserve seven big cat species—tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma—through global collaboration. The IBCA currently has 27 member countries out of 95 big cat range countries, while five additional countries participate as observers, reflecting growing global support for wildlife conservation.
3. ASSOCHAM and ACCI Sign MoU to Boost India–Afghanistan Trade and Investment Cooperation: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen India–Afghanistan bilateral trade, investment, and business cooperation. The MoU was signed during the visit of an Afghan business delegation led by Sayed Mohammad Karim Hashemi and aims to establish a structured framework for trade, investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and business-to-business (B2B) engagement. Under the agreement, both organisations will cooperate in information exchange, trade and investment facilitation, business matchmaking, delegation exchanges, joint conferences, exhibitions, and sector-specific interactions to deepen private-sector partnerships.
4. GMR Airports Takes Over Operations of Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport: GMR Airports Limited has officially taken over the operations, management, development, and modernisation of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur, under a 30-year concession agreement signed with MIHAN India Ltd. (MIL). In the first phase, GMR will expand the passenger terminal to handle 3 million passengers annually, while future phases aim to increase the airport’s capacity to 30 million passengers per year, along with a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and upgraded airside infrastructure. The modernisation project also includes a state-of-the-art cargo terminal with an annual handling capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes, strengthening Nagpur’s position as a major aviation and logistics hub in central India.
5. India Inaugurates World’s First Nuclear-Powered Copper-Chlorine Hydrogen Production Facility at Kalpakkam: Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, Ajit Kumar Mohanty, inaugurated the world’s first Hydrogen Production Facility based on the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) Thermochemical Cycle at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.
The facility utilizes nuclear process heat generated from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to produce hydrogen, demonstrating an innovative approach to clean and carbon-free hydrogen production. The Cu-Cl thermochemical hydrogen production technology has been developed indigenously by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and the project serves as a technology demonstrator for nuclear-powered hydrogen generation. The commissioning of the facility marks a major milestone in India’s clean energy transition, supporting energy security, decarbonisation goals, and sustainable development through the integration of nuclear energy with hydrogen production.
6. Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 sets blood standards : The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) 2026 is the first pharmacopoeia in the world to set exclusive standards for blood and blood components. It was released on 2 January 2026 in New Delhi by Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda. The 10th edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia includes 20 new monographs and 2 revised monographs for blood-related quality standards. The new standards cover blood and blood components used in transfusion services. These standards are legally enforceable in India and are aligned with the Directorate General of Health Services manual and other international guidelines. The standards are intended to support quality assurance in blood banking and to reduce blood transfusion-transmitted infections.
7. India Restores Air Suvidha for Ebola-Affected Travellers: India reactivated the Air Suvidha portal as AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 on 25 June 2026 for passengers arriving from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries. The portal requires an online Self-Declaration Form before deboarding and records a 21-day travel and exposure history for public health screening at entry points. The World Health Organization declared the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May 2026. A Public Health Emergency of International Concern, or PHEIC, is a formal WHO classification under the International Health Regulations for events that require coordinated international response.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Sea Drones Emerge as Key Defence Technology: Sea drones, also called unmanned maritime systems, are naval platforms that operate on the surface or underwater without an onboard crew. In June 2026, several countries used unmanned surface vessels, extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles, and autonomous drone boats in military exercises, logistics missions, and rescue operations in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East. Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) operate on the sea surface and can carry sensors, communications equipment, or weapons. Uncrewed underwater vehicles operate below the surface and are used for surveillance, strike missions, mine countermeasures, and logistics support. Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (XLUUVs) are a larger class of underwater drones designed for long-range and heavy-payload missions.
SPORTS
1. FIFA Suspends All Nepal Football Association Over Governance Violations: FIFA has suspended the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) with immediate effect from 24 June for violating FIFA statutes due to third-party interference in its governance. Following the suspension, Nepal’s national football teams and clubs are barred from participating in all FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions until further notice. ANFA, its officials, and member associations will also lose access to FIFA and AFC funding, development programmes, and training opportunities until the governance issues are resolved and the suspension is lifted.
2. India’s 2036 Olympic Bid Process to Conclude in 2029: The International Olympic Committee approved a revised host selection process for the 2036 Olympic Games at its 146th Session in Lausanne on 24 June 2026. The host city for the 2036 Olympic Games will be elected in mid-2029, and India is in the Continuous Dialogue phase after submitting a Letter of Intent in 2024. The International Olympic Committee uses a multi-stage process for selecting Olympic hosts. The revised framework for 2036 includes Continuous Dialogue, Strategic Dialogue, and Targeted Dialogue phases. The Strategic Dialogue phase is scheduled to begin in March 2027, and the Targeted Dialogue phase is expected in late 2028.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. OpenAI Appoints Former Uber India Head Prabhjeet Singh as India Managing Director: OpenAI has appointed Prabhjeet Singh as its Managing Director (MD) for India, effective September 2026, to lead the company’s operations and growth in the Indian market. Prior to joining OpenAI, Prabhjeet Singh served as the President of Uber India and South Asia, bringing extensive experience in technology, business expansion, and digital innovation.
2. Centre Approves Chennai Intelligent Transport System: The Centre approved over ₹500 crore on 25 June 2026 for the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) project in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. The project has an estimated value of about ₹645.59 crore and is funded through a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the Centre. The contract for ₹530 crore was signed with L&T on 31 March 2023, and JICA approved it on 6 June 2023. The ITS for Chennai includes adaptive traffic signal control at 165 junctions, a traffic incident detection system at 58 locations, a variable message sign system at 17 places, and a red light violation detection system at 50 junctions. The system also includes junction improvements, camera installation, and signal replacement at selected intersections. As of 6 March 2026, civil work for junction improvements had been completed at 104 of the 165 identified junctions. The Greater Chennai Corporation expected full operation of the ITS by August 2026. A pilot project began in January 2024 at 17 locations.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Goldman Sachs Raises India’s 2026 GDP Growth Forecast to 6.8%: Goldman Sachs has raised India’s real GDP growth forecast for 2026 to 6.8% from 6.5%, citing lower crude oil prices and improving domestic macroeconomic conditions. The investment bank also reduced its inflation forecast to 4.4% and current account deficit estimate to 1.1% of GDP, following the decline in global oil prices after the US-Iran peace deal. The report noted that lower crude oil and urea prices are expected to reduce India’s energy import costs and fertiliser subsidy burden, though weather-related risks and earlier fuel price hikes may temporarily affect consumption.
2. Government Notifies 318 Works Under Rural Employment Framework: On 24 June 2026, the Government of India notified an interim list of 318 permissible works under the new rural employment framework. The framework will roll out on 1 July 2026 under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Ministry of Rural Development shared the interim list with states and other ministries on 24 June 2026 and sought views for additions based on local requirements. A high-level inter-ministerial consultation on the draft convergence framework was held on 24 and 25 June 2026 and was chaired by Rural Development Secretary Rohit Kansal. Representatives from 18 ministries and departments took part in the consultation.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. COAS General Upendra Dwivedi Honours Colonel Dibya Shankar Bhattacharya (Retd.) with Commendation Card and Medal: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi honoured Dibya Shankar Bhattacharya with the COAS Commendation Card and Medal at a ceremony held in Tezpur. The award recognises Colonel Dibya Shankar Bhattacharya (Retd.) for his distinguished military service and his exceptional contributions to society after retirement, highlighting his continued commitment to nation-building.
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