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. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 interim list of 318 works is grouped under four thematic areas. These areas are water security, core rural infrastructure, rural livelihoods, and special works for mitigation of extreme weather events. The framework uses a “single plan – multi funding” approach, and the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan serves as the primary planning instrument at the Gram Panchayat level.
5. 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.
6. APEDA Facilitates First Sea Export of Banganapalle Mangoes: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first commercial sea shipment of premium Banganapalle mangoes from India to Singapore on 25 June 2026. The consignment weighed 5 metric tonnes and was exported by Osum Food Solutions LLP. The mangoes were dispatched from India on 11 June 2026 and arrived in Singapore on 24 June 2026. Sea freight is used for bulk horticultural exports because refrigerated containers can maintain temperature and humidity during transit. The mangoes were sourced from Good Agricultural Practices-certified orchards in Andhra Pradesh and processed at an APEDA-recognised packhouse in Karnataka. The initiative was undertaken with the ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow, which works on subtropical fruit research and post-harvest handling.
7. Pharma Jan Samadhan and Pharma Sahi Daam Integrated: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority integrated the Pharma Jan Samadhan portal with the Pharma Sahi Daam portal on 23 June 2026. The unified government platform provides a single interface for checking medicine prices and lodging complaints related to drug pricing. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority is a regulatory body under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. It is responsible for fixing and revising prices of controlled pharmaceutical formulations under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Pharma Sahi Daam provides access to prices of scheduled and non-scheduled medicines. The tool allows consumers to verify whether a medicine is sold within government-approved limits and to report overpricing through the app or web portal.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Jaishankar Calls for Stronger India-South Korea Cooperation: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered the keynote address at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026 in Jeju, South Korea, on 25 June 2026. He also held bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Seoul on 24 June 2026 during a two-day visit to South Korea. India and South Korea maintain diplomatic, economic, and strategic ties through cooperation in trade, investment, technology, defence, and culture. South Korea is a major partner for India in shipbuilding, electronics, and industrial manufacturing, while India is a large market for South Korean companies in automobiles, consumer electronics, and infrastructure. The Seoul discussions covered political ties, shipbuilding, trade, investments, defence, technology, clean energy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Emerging sectors such as startups and fintech were also part of the bilateral agenda.
2. MoSPI-GRAAM Policy Research Fellowship Launched: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) signed a Statement of Intent with the Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) on 25 June 2026 in New Delhi to launch a fellowship initiative. The partnership is linked to the Embark India Development Fellowship and involves two fellows for policy research and governance-related work. The Embark India Development Fellowship is an 18-month programme with six-month immersive institutional placements, hands-on training, and mentorship by national experts. Fellows under the programme will work on ongoing and new projects in MoSPI and will handle research-driven assignments linked to public policy and programme implementation.
3. India-EU Human Rights Dialogue Held in New Delhi: The 12th India-EU Human Rights Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 24 June 2026. The dialogue was co-chaired by Piyush Srivastava, Additional Secretary (Europe West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Hervé Delphin, Ambassador of the European Union to India. The India-EU Human Rights Dialogue is a bilateral mechanism between India and the European Union. The dialogue covers civil and political rights, social, economic and cultural rights, and issues linked to discrimination, migrants, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of expression. The 2026 dialogue covered gender rights, LGBTQI+ rights, and child rights. The two sides also discussed the freedom, independence, and diversity of civil society actors, organisations, and journalists, along with freedom of association and peaceful assembly.
4. India Expands QR Codes on Critical Medicines: The Union Health Ministry notified amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945, on 25 June 2026 to extend QR-code based traceability to vaccines, anti-cancer medicines, antimicrobials, narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs. The revised framework places these medicines under Schedule H2 of the Drugs Rules and requires manufacturers to print or affix QR codes on primary packaging, or on secondary packaging when space is insufficient. QR-code traceability is a product identification system that links a medicine pack to machine-readable data. The code can store a unique identification code, generic name, brand name, manufacturer details, batch number, manufacturing date, expiry date and manufacturing licence number.
5. India Sets Record with Seven Schools in World’s Best School Prizes 2026: India had seven schools shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prizes 2026 on 25 June 2026. The shortlist placed India at the top among all countries for the highest number of schools selected in a single year since the awards began in 2022. The World’s Best School Prizes are global awards founded by T4 Education. The awards cover five categories: Innovation, Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Supporting Healthy Lives, and Overcoming Adversity. An expert Judging Academy selects the final winners, and the 2026 winners are scheduled for announcement in November 2026. Two Indian schools entered the Innovation category for 2026. PCMC Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj English Medium School is located in Pune, and Army Goodwill School Wuzur is located in Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir. Three Indian schools were shortlisted in the Community Collaboration category. Healthy Planet TGA Early Years School is in Noida, Inventure Academy is in Bengaluru, and Seth M.R. Jaipuria School is in Lucknow.
6. China Targets 50% Non-Fossil Power by 2030: China has set a 2030 target for 50% of its power generation to come from non-fossil sources under the 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a New Energy System. The plan was jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration in June 2026. China’s non-fossil share of power generation stood at 41% in 2025, and the new target raises it to 50% by 2030. The plan also sets a target for non-fossil sources to account for 25% of total energy consumption by 2030, compared with 14% in 2025. Wind and solar power are expected to exceed 50% of China’s total installed power generation capacity by 2030, up from about 47% at the end of 2025. The plan targets non-pumped hydro energy storage capacity of 300 GW and pumped-storage hydropower capacity of 160 GW by 2030, compared with 62 GW in 2025.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. India’s Netra AEW&C Gets Final Operational Clearance Certificate: India’s indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system received its Final Operational Clearance (FOC) certificate on 25 June 2026. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the certificate to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru, Karnataka, at a ceremony presided over by Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti. An Airborne Early Warning and Control system is an aircraft-based surveillance platform fitted with radar and mission systems for long-range airspace monitoring. AEW&C platforms are used for airborne surveillance, situational awareness, command support, and battle management. The Netra AEW&C system was developed indigenously through collaboration among the IAF, DRDO, and associated industries. The project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in October 2004, and the system received Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in 2017.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. NASA Rover Detects Complex Carbon Molecules on Mars: NASA’s Perseverance rover detected complex, macromolecular carbon in two Martian mudstones on 24 June 2026. The samples came from the Bright Angel outcrop in Neretva Vallis within Jezero Crater on Mars. Perseverance is a Mars rover operated by NASA and landed in Jezero Crater in February 2021. Jezero Crater contains an ancient lake basin and delta deposits that are used in planetary science to study past water activity on Mars. Macromolecular carbon is a form of complex organic carbon made of large carbon-rich structures. In the Bright Angel outcrop, the organic carbon was found with silicate minerals in one mudstone and with carbonate and sulfate minerals in another mudstone. The different mineral associations indicate that the carbon-bearing materials were deposited at different times in the rock history. NASA described this as the most robust organic detection so far in Jezero Crater and the only detection of macromolecular carbon on a natural rock surface on Mars.
2. What is Project Hawk Eye Surveillance Technology?: Project Hawk Eye is a surveillance and security initiative launched in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, for the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026. The arrangement uses drones, CCTV cameras, facial recognition systems, elevated observation posts, and sniper teams for route security and monitoring. Project Hawk Eye was launched on 25–26 June 2026 for the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026. The Amarnath cave shrine is located in the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, and the pilgrimage route includes the Pahalgam and Baltal axes. The government has declared the routes from Jammu to the cave shrine, including the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, as no-fly zones. Such restrictions are used in India for security-sensitive events and pilgrimage routes.
3. 35 Nations Sign AI Opportunity Statement at Pax Silica Summit: The second Pax Silica Summit was held in Washington, D.C., on 25 or 26 June 2026, and 35 nations, including India, signed the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity. The statement covers artificial intelligence governance, trusted supply chains, and industrial capacity for AI-related technologies. The Pax Silica initiative began in December 2025 under United States leadership. India joined the initiative in February 2026 on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The initiative includes countries such as Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Kazakhstan, Panama, and the European Union. The Joint Statement on AI Opportunity supports a pro-growth and pro-innovation regulatory approach for the AI era. It also refers to trusted and resilient supply chains for artificial intelligence technologies. Jacob Helberg, United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, referred to trusted supply chains and private sector participation at the summit.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI Proposes Wider Access to Indian Money Markets: The Reserve Bank of India issued draft proposals on 25 June 2026 to widen participation in India’s term money market. The draft framework covers non-banking financial companies, including mortgage providers, All India Financial Institutions, and companies, with changes in borrowing, lending, market hours, and reporting rules. The RBI has proposed a prudential borrowing limit of 200% of net-owned funds for shadow lenders such as NBFCs and housing finance companies in these markets. Standalone primary dealers will have a combined borrowing limit of 400% of their net owned funds through term money and inter-corporate deposits. The proposed framework also extends market hours from 9 AM to 5 PM to 9 AM to 7 PM on business days.
2. Andhra Pradesh Approves Treated Wastewater Reuse Policy: Andhra Pradesh approved the Policy on Reuse of Treated Used Water, 2026 on 26 June 2026 for urban bodies across the state. The policy covers 123 Urban Local Bodies and creates a framework for collection, treatment, allocation, pricing, monitoring, and reuse of treated wastewater. Treated wastewater is sewage water that has undergone treatment in a Sewage Treatment Plant and is then used for non-potable purposes. Non-potable use includes industrial processes, construction, landscaping, municipal services, firefighting, railway yards, and bus depots. The policy sets phased implementation targets for urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh. The target is 20 ULBs by 2027, 40 ULBs by 2028, 90 ULBs by 2029, and all 123 ULBs by 2030. The policy also requires that at least 20% of urban water demand is met through reuse. For industries, the policy mandates 20% reuse by 2028 and 40% by 2030.
3. BRICS Energy Ministers Reaffirm Energy Security Cooperation: The 11th BRICS Energy Ministers’ Meeting was held on 25 June 2026 in Gurugram, Haryana, under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026. The ministers adopted the 11th BRICS Energy Ministers’ Joint Communiqué and the BRICS Guiding Principles on Smart Grids and Energy Storage. BRICS is a grouping of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform (ERCP) is a mechanism for cooperation in energy research, policy exchange and technical collaboration among member countries. Smart grids use digital communication, automation and data systems to manage electricity supply and demand. Energy storage systems include batteries, pumped hydro storage and other technologies that store electricity for later use in power networks.
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