Daily Current Affairs – 08-06-2026

Tamil Nadu News

Central Allocation for Flyovers on National Highways in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has been allocated ₹531.54 crore by the Central Government during the financial year 2026–27 for the construction of flyovers on National Highways. India’s total National Highway network extends to about 1,46,560 km. The development and maintenance of National Highways are carried out by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The Setu Bandham Scheme was launched in 2016 and was later renamed Setu Bharatam Scheme to facilitate the construction of flyovers by eliminating railway level crossings on National Highways. Surveys under the scheme identified 230 railway level crossings on National Highways across India, including 9 crossings in Tamil Nadu. So far, 6 railway level crossings in Tamil Nadu have been removed and replaced with flyovers, while the flyover project in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) is nearing completion. The Needamangalam Flyover Project was launched in 2025 at a cost of ₹170 crore, and the Ambur Reddithoppu Railway Flyover Project is being executed at a cost of ₹65.98 crore. For these two projects, ₹81.54 crore has been allocated during 2026–27, while a total of ₹450 crore has been earmarked for other highway flyover works in the state.

TNSTCST Signs MoU with Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSTCST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women for collaborative research in biotechnology, sustainable technology development, and capacity building. The Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women is funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). The MoU was signed by S. Vincent, Member-Secretary of TNSTCST, and P. Sudhakaran, General Manager of the Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women. The agreement focuses on cooperation in biotechnology, agricultural technology, bioinformatics, molecular biology, microbiology, and other emerging fields. The two institutions will share technological expertise and research facilities and organize seminars and workshops. The MoU will remain in force for a period of five years.

Online Ticket Booking System for Major Temples in Tamil Nadu

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department of Tamil Nadu has planned to introduce an online ticket booking and time-slot allocation system in major temples to regulate crowd management and prevent quick-darshan fraud. The system is proposed for important temples including Tiruchendur, Tiruvannamalai, Samayapuram, and Palani, where the number of devotees has been increasing significantly. A review meeting regarding the implementation of the scheme was held under the chairmanship of HR&CE Minister Ramesh. Under the proposed system, devotees will be able to select their preferred date and time slot through mobile phones or computers and obtain e-tickets for temple darshan. The online booking system is expected to be made mandatory during festival days, weekends, and major temple festivals.

TN Anywhere Registration

The Tamil Nadu Registration Department has introduced the “Anywhere Registration” facility, enabling citizens to register eligible property documents completely online without visiting a Sub-Registrar Office. The new system is planned to become mandatory for selected property transactions. Earlier, the department operated the STAR 3.0 online system, which allowed buyers and sellers to prepare documents, pay fees, book appointments, and obtain Encumbrance Certificates online, but physical appearance before the Sub-Registrar was required for identity verification and completion of registration. Under the Anywhere Registration system, property buyers, sellers, and financial institutions can complete registration procedures remotely. Approved documents will be digitally signed by the Sub-Registrar and delivered electronically through the registrant’s login account and WhatsApp, replacing the need to collect stamped physical copies in person. The facility will enable 24×7 document registration.

Keezhadi Red-Slipped Pottery Discovery

During the ongoing excavation at Keezhadi in Sivaganga district, the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department unearthed a red-slipped pottery vessel with handles for the first time. According to Ramesh Matsethung, Director of the Keezhadi excavation, this is the first discovery of a clay pot with handles by the department at the site. The artefact is approximately one foot in height and one foot in diameter, featuring two built-in handles, of which one is intact and the other is broken. The pot has a narrow neck and is rimless. The current phase of excavation began on March 18, and seven quadrants have been laid so far. A brick structure, believed to be a continuation of structures found in earlier excavation phases, has also been identified. In addition, copper coins and other artefacts have been recovered during the ongoing excavation.

108 Ambulance Service in Tamil Nadu

The 108 Ambulance Service in Tamil Nadu, operated by EMRI Green Health Services through the Tamil Nadu Health System Project and the Government of Tamil Nadu, has recorded improved emergency response times. In Chennai, the average response time decreased from 7.45 minutes in 2023–24 to 6.14 minutes in 2026–27 (up to April), while the State average improved from 13.24 minutes to 11.22 minutes during the same period. The service operates 1,353 ambulances across the State, comprising 977 Basic Life Support, 307 Advanced Life Support, 65 Neonatal Life Support, and 4 Very Very Important Person (VVIP) ambulances, along with 66 First Responder Bikes. The reduction in response time has been achieved through the installation of GPS devices in ambulances and scientific deployment based on accident-grid and cluster analysis. Since its launch in September 2008 up to May 2026, the service has assisted 2,05,44,631 beneficiaries, including 47,73,823 pregnancy-related cases and 37,97,993 road traffic accident cases. The average daily number of calls received by the 108 Emergency Response Centre is 12,600, and the service can be accessed through the toll-free number 108.

Tamil Nadu Wildlife Reports 2026

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2026, the Government of Tamil Nadu released three wildlife reports, including the first-ever State-wide Raptor Census. The reports were jointly released by Minister of Forests R. V. Ranjithkumar and Minister of Environment and Climate Change V. K. Rajeev. According to the Third Synchronised Survey for Nilgiri Tahr Population Estimation, conducted from 24–27 April 2026 in collaboration with the Kerala Forest Department, the population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr increased from 1,303 in 2025 to 1,364 in 2026. The survey covered 177 survey blocks across 14 forest divisions, with Anamalai Hills accounting for 44.87% of the population and the Nilgiri landscape accounting for 29.25%. The first Comprehensive State-Wide Raptor Assessment, conducted on 31 January and 1 February 2026, was led by the Tamil Nadu Raptor Research Foundation (TNRRF) at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), Vandalur, with support from WWF-India. The survey covered 49 forest divisions, recorded 5,712 sightings, and documented 51 raptor species belonging to the families Pandionidae, Accipitridae, Falconidae, Tytonidae, and Strigidae. The Tamil Nadu Synchronised Bird Census 2025–26 recorded 6,01,348 birds belonging to 393 species across 1,005 wetlands in all 38 districts, including 35 IUCN Red List threatened species and 1,59,557 migratory birds. The subsequent terrestrial bird census conducted at 1,108 locations identified 2,24,801 birds from 391 species, including 36 threatened species.

Sports News

Silver Medal for Animesh Kujur at New Taipei City Athletics Open

At the New Taipei City Athletics Open held in New Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, Indian athlete Animesh Kujur won the silver medal in the men’s 200 metres event by finishing second with a timing of 20.47 seconds. Thailand athlete Puripol Boonson secured the gold medal in the same event by clocking 20.03 seconds.

Alexander Zverev Wins First French Open Title

Alexander Zverev of Germany won the French Open Men’s Singles Title in Paris by defeating Flavio Cobolli of Italy in the final with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1. This victory marked Zverev’s first Grand Slam title. He received the championship trophy, 2,000 ranking points, and a cash prize of ₹31 crore, while runner-up Flavio Cobolli received 1,300 ranking points and ₹15.53 crore. Zverev became the first German player in 89 years to win the French Open after Henner Henkel, who won the title in 1937. He also became the third German player in the Open Era (since 1968) to win a Grand Slam title after Boris Becker and Michael Stich.

French Open Doubles Champions

In the French Open Men’s Doubles event, the top-seeded pair of Marcelo Granollers (Spain) and Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) defeated Harri Heliövaara (Finland) and Henry Patten (Great Britain) by 6-4, 6-2 in the final to retain their title. They became the fifth pair in French Open men’s doubles history to successfully defend the championship and secured their third Grand Slam title overall, having also won the US Open 2025. In the French Open Women’s Doubles event, the top-seeded pair of Kateřina Siniaková (Czech Republic) and Taylor Townsend (United States) defeated Aleksandra Krunić (Serbia) and Anna Danilina (Kazakhstan) by 6-2, 7-5 to win the title. This was their first French Open title as a pair. For Kateřina Siniaková, it was her 11th Grand Slam doubles title and fourth French Open title, while Taylor Townsend won her third Grand Slam doubles title and her first French Open title.

Former Umpire Vikram Raju Passes Away

Former cricket umpire Vikram Raju passed away on June 7, 2026, at the age of 92. He is noted for officiating in the historic India–Australia Test match held in Chennai in 1986, which ended in a tie, becoming the second tied Test match in the history of Test cricket. During the match, Maninder Singh was given out LBW (Leg Before Wicket) by Vikram Raju, resulting in the tie. During his umpiring career, he officiated in 2 Test matches, 5 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 42 First-Class matches.

International News

Cambodia Becomes the 9th Country to Adopt UPI

Cambodia has become the 9th country to adopt India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has signed an agreement with Acleda Bank Public Limited for the implementation of UPI services in Cambodia. With this arrangement, Indian tourists visiting Cambodia can make digital payments through UPI at 45 lakh (4.5 million) merchant outlets in the country. The UPI system had already been expanded to Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. In the first phase, Indian users can make UPI payments in Cambodia, and the next phase will enable Cambodian citizens to make UPI payments in India.

India Leads in Immigrant-Founded US Unicorns

According to a report by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), India is the largest source country for immigrant founders of US unicorns (start-ups valued at $1 billion or more), with 96 unicorns founded or co-founded by Indian immigrants. Israel ranks second with 60 unicorns, followed by the United Kingdom (47), China (41), and Canada (30). Perplexity, founded by Aravind Srinivas, is the highest-valued US unicorn founded by an Indian, with a valuation of $20 billion. Other Indian-origin founders of US unicorns mentioned in the report include Prasanna Sankar (Rippling), Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta (Skild AI), Mohit Aron (Cohesity), Prabhakar Reddy and Raghu Yarlagadda (FalconX), and Manu Kumar (Carta). The report also states that 76 Indians who initially entered the United States as international students later founded unicorn companies. Overall, immigrants founded or co-founded 455 out of 775 US private start-ups valued at $1 billion or more, accounting for 59% of such companies.

BRICS Recognition for Silkyara Rescue Operation

At the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group second technical meeting held in Puri, Odisha, from June 3–5 under India’s chairmanship, Uttarakhand’s Silkyara Tunnel Rescue Operation was highlighted as a notable example of effective disaster response. The meeting was attended by senior officials, technical experts, and policymakers from 11 BRICS member and partner countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. Discussions focused on disaster risk reduction, resilient infrastructure, community-based early warning systems, forecast-based rapid response mechanisms, and sustainable financing for disaster management. Uttarakhand’s disaster management model was recognized for its integration of scientific planning, institutional coordination, and field-level response. Representing the state, SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi (IPS) and ULMMC Director Shantanu Sarkar presented initiatives related to disaster preparedness, risk reduction, capacity building, technological innovation, and emergency response.

Sriram Krishnan Resigns from White House AI Role

Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-origin Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Adviser at the White House, announced his resignation through a post on X on June 6. He served for 18 months under the Trump Administration, contributing to the formulation of the United States government's AI strategy. His resignation comes at a time when AI policy has become a major focus area of the US administration. The development also coincides with discussions by US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of government participation in AI companies.

India–Indonesia Cooperation

At the 8th India–Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting held in New Delhi on June 7, 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono discussed strengthening cooperation under the India–Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two countries agreed to deepen collaboration in defence, maritime security, digital connectivity, infrastructure, trade, fintech, health, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, critical minerals, tourism, education, and cultural cooperation. The leaders also discussed the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jakarta. India and Indonesia reviewed regional developments, multilateral coordination, and efforts to strengthen India–ASEAN relations. Indonesia is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy. Historical ties between the two countries include support for the independence of Asian and African nations, leading to the Bandung Conference (1955) and the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961.

States’ News

Shigella Infection Cases Reported in Kerala

A 4-year-old girl died in Kozhikode district, Kerala, after being affected by Shigella, a bacterial infection that primarily affects the intestines and spreads through contaminated drinking water and food. According to Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, three children infected with Shigella were admitted to a Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, of whom one child died while the other two recovered. During the previous week, 123 people were affected by the infection in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts. Following the cases, the Kerala Government intensified statewide prevention and surveillance measures against Shigella infection.

Wildlife Crime Management System in Kerala

Kerala Forest Department has launched the e-court integration feature of the HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) system, making Kerala the first State in India to establish a fully digitised and judiciary-integrated wildlife offence management system. The system creates a direct digital link between the Forest Department and the District Court Management System (DCMS) through an Application Programming Interface (API), eliminating physical paperwork in wildlife crime prosecution. Developed in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and supported by NTT Data, the system enables real-time tracking of wildlife offence cases from the Preliminary Offence Report (POR) stage to court verdicts and witness testimonies. The integration, which is part of a digitisation initiative started in 2017, underwent security audits by CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team). The HAWK platform also consolidates data on wildlife mortality, illegal weapon seizures, vehicle involvement and repeat offenders, and includes provisions for digital evidence collection under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Personalities, Awards and Events

Demise of National Award-Winning Actor Salim Kumar

Salim Kumar, a National Film Award-winning Malayalam actor, passed away at the age of 56 in Kochi, Kerala, after undergoing treatment for pneumonia. He began his career as a mimicry artist and entered the Malayalam film industry through the 1997 film “Ishtamanu Nooruvattam”. During his career, he acted in more than 300 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Kerala State Film Award for his performance in the 2010 film “Adaminte Makan Abu”. Apart from acting, he worked as a screenwriter and director. His film “Karutha Joothan”, for which he wrote the story and screenplay and directed, received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story in 2017. His last film appearance was in “Pa Pa Pa” (2025).

FE Best Banks Awards 2024–25

The FE Best Banks Awards 2024–25 honoured leading personalities and institutions in the banking and financial sector. Sanjiv Bajaj, CMD of Bajaj Finserv, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while K. S. Raju, former MD and CEO of Canara Bank, was named Banker of the Year. Indian Bank won the award for Best Public Sector Bank, ICICI Bank for Best Private Sector Bank, and SMBC (India) for Best Foreign Bank. Muthoot Finance was recognised as the Best Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), IDFC First Bank won the Savings Product category, Axis Bank was named Digital Bank of the Year, and AU Finance received the award in the Small Finance Bank category. In the fintech segment, Groww won the Fintech–Investment award, Perfios won Fintech–RegTech, PhonePe won Fintech–Payments, Moneyview won Fintech–Lending, and Go Digit won Fintech–Insurance.

e-Jagriti Wins National e-Governance Award 2026

The e-Jagriti platform of the Department of Consumer Affairs received the Silver Award under Category I – Government Process Re-engineering by Use of Technology for Digital Transformation at the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026, presented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances. The award was selected from 341 nominations submitted by Central Ministries, Departments and State Governments. Launched on 1 January 2025, e-Jagriti integrated four legacy applications—OCMS, e-Daakhil, NCDRC CMS, and CONFONET—into a single AI-enabled paperless platform for consumer grievance redressal. Since its launch, the platform has facilitated the filing of more than 2.29 lakh consumer cases and the disposal of over 2.07 lakh cases, achieving an overall 90.75% disposal rate and enabling consumers in India and abroad to access consumer justice digitally.

Perfect Randomness Achieved by Physicists

A team of physicists from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, has successfully achieved “Perfect Randomness” for the first time by using quantum entanglement, a phenomenon in quantum mechanics. The research was led by physicist Renato Renner. The study aimed to generate truly unpredictable random sequences that can be certified as free from hidden rules or biases. The researchers used a Bell test, a quantum experiment involving a pair of entangled quantum bits (qubits) placed 30 metres apart and cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero. Perfect randomness is important for modern cybersecurity applications such as passwords, authentication codes, and encryption keys, where unpredictable random numbers are essential for secure digital communication.

Reports and Indices

RBI Survey Projects FY27 GDP Growth at 6.5%

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF), India’s GDP growth is projected at 6.5% for FY 2026-27, while retail inflation is estimated at 4.9%. The RBI has projected GDP growth at 6.6% and inflation at 5.1% for the same period. The survey expects the repo rate to increase from 5.25% to 5.75% during FY 2026-27 through two hikes of 25 basis points each. For FY 2027-28, GDP growth is projected at 6.9% and inflation at 4.5%. The 100th bi-monthly SPF survey, conducted in May 2026, had participation from 40 forecasters. The survey also projects the Current Account Deficit (CAD) to rise to 2.1% of GDP in FY 2026-27 and decline to 1.2% in FY 2027-28.

Delhi Bird Atlas 2025

The Delhi Bird Atlas, released on 5 June 2026, mapped the distribution and abundance of bird species across Delhi for the first time and ranked Delhi as the second most bird-diverse national capital in the world after Nairobi. The atlas attributes this diversity to the presence of the Aravalli Range, proximity to the Western Himalayas, the Yamuna and Sahibi floodplains, and Delhi’s location along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), a major migratory bird route from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean. Prepared by the Delhi Forest Department, Bird Count India, WWF-India, and partner organisations, the atlas recorded 471 bird species in Delhi, excluding 22 species not re-recorded since 1975. The survey began in January 2025, covers 11% of Delhi’s area, and is conducted twice a year during winter and summer. In its first year, 221 bird species were recorded, including 126 resident species, 81 winter migrants, and 14 summer migrants. The atlas documented 18 endemic bird species and several threatened species, including the Egyptian Vulture, Black-bellied Tern, River Tern, Common Pochard, Black-tailed Godwit, Ferruginous Duck, Painted Stork, Black-headed Ibis, and Oriental Darter. The study used a grid-based survey method, dividing Delhi into 6.6 km × 6.6 km grids, with observations uploaded to eBird. The atlas was prepared by Dr. Lynette Gomes, Pankaj Gupta, and Arnav Gupta.

National News

Centralised Highway Lighting Monitoring System

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is set to introduce the Centralised Control and Monitoring System (CCMS), a web-based platform for monitoring and managing highway street lighting. The cloud-based system will provide real-time monitoring and control of street lights, including automatic switching of lights, early fault detection, energy-saving verification, and performance analytics. Pilot projects have already been successfully implemented in Varanasi and Hyderabad. The ministry has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) and implementation framework for highways managed by MoRTH, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). According to Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines, lighting on national highways is provided at locations such as toll plazas, rest areas, truck lay-bys, bus bays, grade-separated structures, interchanges, flyovers, underpasses, and overpasses. The system will enable monitoring of energy consumption and lighting assets through dashboards, display the number of functional and non-functional street lights across states, districts, and corridors, allow user feedback submission, and include a three-tier escalation mechanism for resolving technical issues.

NZP Saathi App Launched at National Zoological Park

On 7 June 2026, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh launched the NZP Saathi App and inaugurated Self-ticketing Kiosks at the National Zoological Park (NZP), New Delhi. The NZP Saathi App, available on Android and iOS platforms, is a digital zoo guide featuring an interactive digital map and smart navigation system to help visitors locate animal enclosures, washrooms, buggy points, exits, and other facilities. The app also provides themed tour options such as Express Tour, Family Tour, Grand Zoo Tour, and My Tour. The newly introduced Self-ticketing Kiosks enable online ticket booking through UPI-based digital payments and provide free Wi-Fi connectivity for on-the-spot ticket booking, supporting digital transformation and visitor services at the National Zoological Park.

West Bengal Joins Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

West Bengal is set to become the 36th State/Union Territory to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementing the scheme will be signed between the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The MoU signing ceremony will be presided over by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda and attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Pratap Rao Jadhav, Anupriya Patel, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, and West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal. AB PM-JAY provides health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for eligible beneficiaries for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization through a network of empanelled public and private hospitals.

Akashvani Completes 90 Years

Akashvani completed 90 years on 8 June 2026. On 8 June 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio (AIR). After Independence, AIR expanded rapidly and adopted the name Akashvani in 1956. At present, Akashvani operates 591 stations, reaching 98% of India's population and broadcasting in 23 languages and 146 dialects. The External Services Division of Akashvani broadcasts to more than 100 countries. The News Services Division (NSD) provides news and information across the country in major languages and dialects. The guiding motto of Akashvani is “Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya.”