Daily Current Affairs – 12-06-2026

States’ News

Israel to Install Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

The Government of Israel has planned to install a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in one of Israel's major cities as a symbol of India-Israel friendship. The announcement was made by Yaniv Revach, Consul General of Israel in Mumbai. The project is being undertaken in coordination with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has extended the support of the Maharashtra Government for providing historical records and designs related to the statue. The proposed statue is also intended to symbolize the historical ties between Maharashtra and the Indian-Jewish community in Israel.

National News

11th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting

The 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. NITI Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission in 2015, functions as the premier policy think tank of the Government of India with the objective of promoting cooperative federalism and preparing long-term development strategies. The Governing Council comprises the Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories and the Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories without legislatures. The meeting discussed issues related to entrepreneurship promotion, future-ready skill development, sustainable employment generation, public welfare, energy security, artificial intelligence, water conservation, organic farming, and tackling social challenges such as substance abuse and cyber fraud. Prime Minister Modi emphasized that relations between States should be based on the three pillars of cooperation, dialogue, and sharing, and stated that the joint efforts of the Centre and States are essential for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).

Rajya Sabha Elections 2026

The Election Commission of India announced elections for 27 Rajya Sabha seats, including 24 seats falling vacant in 10 States and 3 by-elections in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Odisha, with polling scheduled for 18 June. Several candidates were elected unopposed. In Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed along with Mansoor Ali Khan, Pawan Khera, and BJP candidate M. Nagaraja. In Andhra Pradesh, the four candidates of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), namely Bhashyam Ramakrishna, Lingamaneni Ramesh, Chintakayala Vijay, and Sana Satish Babu, were elected unopposed. In Gujarat, all four seats were won unopposed by BJP candidates Rajubhai Shukla, Mansing Parmar, Mukeshbhai Rathva, and Jitendra Kanjariya. In Rajasthan, Satish Poonia, Alka Gurjar, and Neeraj Dangi were elected unopposed. In Manipur, A. Sharda Devi was elected unopposed, while James K. Sangma in Meghalaya and Dai Tako in Arunachal Pradesh also secured unopposed victories. In Maharashtra, Rajendra Jain of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and in Odisha, Debasish Samantaray of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were elected unopposed. In Madhya Pradesh, Tarun Chugh, Rajnish Agrawal, and Mahesh Kewat of the BJP were elected unopposed after the nomination of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan was rejected, following which she filed a petition in the Supreme Court.

106 Turbojet Drones Delivered to Indian Army

An Indian defence technology company, SMBP, has delivered 106 turbojet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to the Indian Army. These drones are designed to operate effectively even in contested electromagnetic environments and can withstand communication disruption techniques such as jamming and spoofing. The drones can travel at a maximum speed of 450 km per hour and have an operational range of 180 km. They are equipped with autonomous precision-strike capabilities and are designed to target military infrastructure, logistics hubs, command centres, and radar systems. The drones were handed over to the Army after successful testing and are expected to enhance the unmanned combat capabilities of the Indian Army.

Equity Mutual Fund Investments Decline in May

In May, investments in Indian equity mutual funds stood at ₹22,908 crore, recording a 40 percent decline from ₹38,440 crore in April and marking the lowest inflow in one year. Monthly contributions through Systematic Investment Plans (SIP) declined slightly from ₹31,115 crore in April to ₹30,954 crore in May. However, the assets under management under SIP schemes increased to ₹17.12 lakh crore, accounting for nearly 21 percent of the total assets of the mutual fund industry. Due to an outflow of ₹96,948 crore from debt-oriented schemes, the mutual fund industry recorded a net capital outflow of more than ₹64,000 crore in May, reducing the industry's total assets under management to ₹81.6 lakh crore. Among various categories, Flexi Cap funds attracted the highest net investment of ₹5,175 crore, followed by Small Cap funds with ₹4,945 crore and Mid Cap funds with ₹4,385 crore, while Large Cap funds received ₹1,593 crore. Investments also continued to flow out of Dividend Yield and ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) funds. Additionally, Gold ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) recorded an outflow of ₹725 crore, marking the first outflow from Gold ETFs in the current year.

International News

Jaishankar’s Visit to Bulgaria and Finland

During his official visit to Bulgaria and Finland, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated India's position that terrorism should never be tolerated and that this is not an era of war. In Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, he held bilateral talks with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova and discussed issues relating to global security, terrorism, economic security, supply chain resilience, and maritime trade. He also emphasized the need for strong international coordination, a lesson highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, in Helsinki, he met Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, artificial intelligence, 6G, semiconductors, quantum technology, critical minerals, clean energy, and space. Earlier this year, Finnish President Alexander Stubb visited India and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which bilateral relations in digitalisation and sustainable development were elevated to the status of a Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister Modi’s Visit to France and Slovakia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to France and Slovakia from 13 to 18 June at the invitation of the two countries. During his visit to Nice, France, he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron to hold discussions on security and civil nuclear energy and is expected to participate in the launch of Bharat Innovates, a three-day event showcasing innovations by Indian technology companies. Modi will then visit Slovakia from 14 to 16 June, where he will meet President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico for bilateral talks. He will later return to France to participate in the G7 Summit at Evian on 16 and 17 June and hold discussions with European leaders. On 18 June, he will attend the VivaTech Conference in Paris, which is Europe's largest technology and startup event. Discussions during the visit are expected to focus on the economic impact of the West Asia conflict and energy supply disruptions.

Israel’s West Bank Settlement Expansion Plan

The Israeli Government has planned to allocate 1 billion shekels (33.74 crore US dollars) for the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and for improving related infrastructure facilities. The project is being promoted by Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The funds will be used for infrastructure projects such as roads, drinking water facilities, and sewage systems. According to the report, around 700,000 Jewish settlers live among approximately 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The United Nations (UN) and most countries consider these settlements to be illegal. In response to the increase in settler violence against Palestinians, Britain, Canada, France, and Norway have jointly announced new economic sanctions against Israel, with support from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Canada Introduces Bill to Restrict Social Media for Minors

The Canadian Parliament has introduced a new bill to restrict the use of social media platforms by children below 16 years of age. The bill was introduced by Canada's Minister of Culture, Marc Miller. The proposed legislation also seeks to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots, including ChatGPT. The bill provides exemptions only for companies that ensure adequate safety features for minors.

Sports News

Wimbledon 2026 Prize Money Increased

The Wimbledon Championships, the third Grand Slam tournament of the tennis calendar and the oldest Grand Slam event played on grass courts, has increased its total prize money by 20 percent for the current season. The total prize pool has been raised to ₹821 crore. The men's and women's singles champions will receive ₹45.98 crore each, while the runners-up will receive ₹22 crore each. Players eliminated in the first round will receive ₹1 crore each. This is the first time in Wimbledon history that the prize money has been increased by 20 percent in a single year. The 2026 Wimbledon Championships will begin on 29 June.

23rd FIFA World Cup Begins

The 23rd FIFA World Cup football tournament commenced in Mexico City with a grand opening ceremony. The tournament features 48 teams and will be held over 38 days. The opening match was played between Mexico and South Africa. The matches are being hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. During the tournament, an Argentine company, Newsan, provided free television sets to the first 100 Argentine fans who were denied United States visas to attend the World Cup and offered a 35 percent discount on television sets to the next 50 fans.

Economy News

City Union Bank Raises Interest Rate on NRI Dollar Deposits

City Union Bank has increased the interest rate on US Dollar deposits for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to 7.10 percent. The revised interest rate came into effect from last Wednesday and is applicable to US Dollar deposits with a maturity period of 3 to 5 years. Under this deposit scheme, both the principal and interest are maintained in foreign currency, providing investors protection against foreign exchange rate fluctuations. The scheme also allows the full repatriation of both principal and interest amounts, making it a beneficial long-term savings option for NRI investors.

Reports and Indices

Amazon Tops Trust Ranking Among E-Commerce Platforms

According to a study released by Datum Intelligence, Amazon has emerged as the most trusted e-commerce platform in India, receiving support from 50 percent of consumers. The report states that Amazon's anti-fraud measures and customer awareness programmes have contributed to this trust. The study also highlights the growing threat of 'Dark Patterns', or deceptive online practices, in India's e-commerce sector. Consumers are estimated to lose between ₹25,000 crore and ₹28,000 crore annually due to hidden charges and deceptive designs. Out of around 30.4 crore customers, 88 percent have been affected by such hidden charges. The report further states that 73 percent of e-commerce platforms use coercive design practices, while 69 percent of platforms add charges during the final stage of checkout. Due to these deceptive practices, there is a potential risk to trade worth approximately ₹55,000 crore as consumers reduce their spending.