Daily Current Affairs – 22-06-2026

National News

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy announced that rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of cancer medicines have been identified in the coal and lignite ash of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) in Tamil Nadu. Pilot projects for extracting these minerals have been successfully tested, and a commercial production plant will be established in Tamil Nadu within the next year. The Union Government has also launched a ₹34,000 crore incentive scheme to explore and secure critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt, which are essential for mobile phones, laptops, defence equipment and space technologies. India has already acquired five lithium mines in Argentina and is holding discussions with Australia and Chile for further mineral resources. India is currently the world’s second-largest coal producer and has the fifth-largest coal reserves.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three indigenously built Indian Navy ships—INS Agray, INS Dunagiri, and INS Sanshodhak—to the nation on June 21 at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, West Bengal. The ships were constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), a public sector undertaking based in Kolkata, and were designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau. About 75% of the materials used in these ships are indigenous. INS Dunagiri is a stealth warship equipped with BrahMos supersonic missiles and air defence missiles, while INS Agray is an anti-submarine warfare ship. INS Sanshodhak is a survey vessel used for precise mapping of coastal and marine areas and is regarded as the world’s fourth-largest survey ship. In recent years, more than 40 warships and submarines have been inducted into the Indian Navy, and 45 additional ships and submarines are under construction. The Union Government has allocated ₹70,000 crore for the development and expansion of the shipbuilding sector. The event was attended by West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.

The 12th International Day of Yoga was celebrated across India on June 21 with the theme “Yoga for Healthy Aging”. President Droupadi Murmu participated in the event in Madhya Pradesh, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan in Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Ahmedabad, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Shillong, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also took part in the celebrations. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma participated in the event in Assam. Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff N.L. Raja Subramani participated in yoga events at different defence establishments. Yoga programmes were conducted in the Northern, Western, Eastern, Southern, Central and South-Western Commands of the Indian Army. Yoga sessions were also held on Indian Navy vessels including INS Varad, INS Samudra Pratap, INS Sarthak, INS Aarush, C-445, C-161 and C-156, while personnel of INS Satavahana performed underwater yoga. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) organized yoga programmes at heritage sites including Purana Qila, Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Deeg Palace, Warangal Fort, Bidar Fort, and Bekal Fort.

The Ministry of Defence is implementing a national initiative to establish seven defence manufacturing clusters involving States and Union Territories with the support of IITs and centres of excellence to promote indigenisation and reduce import dependence in the defence sector. The proposal is independent of the existing defence industrial corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar held stakeholder meetings on June 2 and June 10 regarding the project. The first cluster is led by Karnataka with support from IISc Bengaluru, IIT Dharwad, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Palakkad and IIT Bhilai. The second cluster is led by Maharashtra with support from IIT Bombay, IIT Indore and IIT Goa. The third cluster is headed by Uttar Pradesh with IIT Kanpur, IIT-BHU, IIT Roorkee and IIT Jammu supporting testing, certification and quality standards. The fourth cluster is led by Assam with IIT Guwahati as the institutional partner. The fifth cluster, focusing on defence exports, is led by Telangana with support from IIT Hyderabad and IIT Delhi. The sixth cluster is headed by Gujarat with support from IIT Gandhinagar, Rashtriya Raksha University, IIT Bhubaneswar and IIT Mandi. The seventh cluster is led by Tamil Nadu, with Andhra Pradesh as co-lead, and focuses on Defence Industrial Infrastructure, Clusters and Common Facilities with support from IIT Madras, IIT Tirupati and IIT Ropar.

The Bombay High Court ordered the cancellation of the ‘Duphachrit’ trademark registered by Menschlich Healthcare (OPC) of Thane in favour of Abbott Product Operations AG, the Swiss subsidiary of the US-based pharmaceutical company Abbott. The order was issued by Justice Arif Doctor on June 15 while allowing the petition filed for rectification of the trademark register. The court directed the removal of the ‘Duphachrit’ trademark, which was registered under Class 5 for pharmaceutical products. Abbott stated that its trademarks are based on the ‘Dupha’ prefix, including the registered brands Duphaston and Duphalac, which have been registered in India since 1951. The company stated that the prefix originated from Dutch Pharmaceuticals and has been used in medicinal and pharmaceutical products since the 1960s.

Security chiefs and national security advisers of the BRICS (organization) countries are meeting in New Delhi for a two-day conclave beginning Monday, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Russian National Security Adviser, and other senior officials including representatives from Iran are participating, while India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is chairing the meeting; the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the discussions will focus on key geopolitical and national security issues, the evolving nature of security challenges, and the role of new technologies in emerging threats, along with a review of the outcomes of recent BRICS Joint Working Groups on counter-terrorism, and the conclave is also aimed at preparing groundwork for the BRICS Summit scheduled for September.

Researchers from IIT Bombay, in collaboration with IISER Pune and IISER Kolkata, have developed a new approach to reduce harmful blood lipids by blocking fat transport inside liver cells rather than targeting enzymes or receptors, where a small peptide named KTDP was created to interrupt the movement of lipids within liver cells and prevent their export into the bloodstream as very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL); in experiments conducted on laboratory-grown liver cells and zebrafish, KTDP reduced the release of cholesterol and triglycerides by nearly 50%, and the findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), with the study still in the early stage and not yet tested in humans, while the research also identified the role of the motor protein kinesin-1, which normally transports lipid droplets within cells for packaging into VLDL, and blocking this pathway reduced LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and triglyceride export without causing harmful fat accumulation in the liver, as fatty acids were redirected to mitochondria for energy production.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court permitted a 23-year-old woman from Tirunelveli district to undergo termination of pregnancy, stating that the law does not compel motherhood and recognises the autonomy of a competent adult woman under Article 21 of the Constitution, while the case arose from petitions involving a man seeking protection from alleged harassment and a subsequent petition by the woman seeking permission for termination of her approximately 15-week pregnancy; the court observed that forcing continuation of an unwanted pregnancy would interfere with bodily autonomy and decisional freedom, and directed the Dean of Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital to carry out the medical termination of pregnancy in accordance with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, along with directions to ensure preservation of foetal tissue and biological samples as the investigation was ongoing, while clarifying that issues relating to paternity and criminal case merits would be decided independently by the competent court.

Police across several states have begun collecting DNA records of suspects arrested for heinous crimes under the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 (CrPI Act), with samples mainly taken from blood and in some cases saliva, along with photographs, fingerprints, and iris scans, to create a national identification database of arrested persons and convicts that can be retained for up to 75 years, while the system is managed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and over the past five months more than one lakh DNA profiles have been stored in the central database; the CrPI system, showcased at an NCRB event on June 19, has over 2,600 measurement collection units across police districts and prisons and is accessible to agencies including the CBI, NIA, and NCB, while the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) launched in 2022 supports automated fingerprint matching and contains over 1.27 crore fingerprint records, and the integrated CrPI database enables nationwide search and matching of facial, iris, and biological data, including comparison of CCTV footage through a video analytics feature to identify suspects and match them with national records within minutes.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, facilitated the first-ever commercial export of dried whole egg powder from Balangir, Odisha to Austria, marking a milestone in India’s value-added agricultural exports, where the consignment was exported by OVO Farm Pvt. Ltd., an APEDA-registered exporter, and comprised 22.6 metric tonnes of egg powder; the processing unit established in 2025 in Balangir follows international food safety and quality standards including EIC standards, European Union hygiene requirements, and FSSC 22000 Version 6 certification, along with HALAL and KOSHER certifications, while the product, made through spray-drying of liquid eggs, is used in food processing, bakery, confectionery, and pharmaceutical industries due to long shelf life and ease of transport, and APEDA supported the exporter through financial assistance schemes for processing infrastructure, food safety systems, and laboratory testing, with the export highlighting growing demand for Indian processed food products in the European Union, particularly in Austria and other European countries.

Over the past twelve years since 2014, the North-Eastern region of India, comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim, has undergone significant transformation driven by sustained policy support, infrastructure expansion, and inclusive development initiatives, where improved road, rail, air, and digital connectivity has reduced geographic isolation and strengthened regional integration, while access to water, sanitation, housing, healthcare, and education has improved living standards in both urban and rural areas; the region has also become a key part of India’s clean energy transition and Act East Policy, supported by investments in hydropower, gas infrastructure, and cross-border connectivity, while development in the region is coordinated by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) through five central sector schemes, under which 3,746 projects have been sanctioned and 2,730 projects completed at an approved cost of over ₹27,963 crore, positioning the North-East, also referred to as “Ashtalakshmi”, as an important contributor to the vision of Viksit Bharat.

The Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the IAS e-Civil List 2026 in New Delhi, which is the 71st edition of the Civil List and the 6th e-book (PDF) version, and stated that the digital platform supports administrative planning, talent identification, and efficient human resource deployment in governance under the vision of Digital India; the e-Civil List provides comprehensive data on IAS officers, including batch, cadre, present posting, pay level, educational qualifications, and retirement date, along with cadre-wise strength, details of officers retiring in the next five years, and information on officers appointed through the Civil Services Examination since 1969, while the digital shift from printed documents to online platforms is aimed at improving accessibility, efficiency, and optimal use of public resources in public administration.

The Aadhaar App, launched in January 2026, has recorded over 31 million (3.1 crore) downloads, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The Ministry stated that nearly 4 million users have updated their mobile numbers using the app, while around 850,000 users have updated their addresses through it. The app provides digital identity services including one-click lock/unlock Aadhaar, face verification for proof of presence, authentication history tracking, and a QR-based editable contact card for sharing details instead of physical visiting cards.

Indian Railways has approved the installation of the Automatic Train Protection system “Kavach” across 631 route kilometres of East Coast Railway to enhance safety and operational efficiency. According to the Ministry of Railways, the deployment covers six key sections: Baghuapal–Budhapank, Haridaspur–Paradeep, Khurda Road–Balangir, Naupada–Gunupur, Lanjigarh Road–Junagarh, and Bobbili–Salur. The Kavach system is designed to provide automatic train protection and collision avoidance, improving safety in train operations. The project is expected to benefit both passenger and freight services in Odisha and neighbouring regions and supports the expansion of Kavach across high-density and strategically important railway routes.

The Ministry of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, laid the foundation stone for the new Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Headquarters in New Delhi and highlighted the role of CISF in national development. He stated that CISF personnel function as economic security forces safeguarding national growth. The project is being constructed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at an estimated cost of over ₹75 crore and will serve as the administrative, operational and strategic hub of CISF. During the event, infrastructure projects worth over ₹130 crore were inaugurated, financial assistance of ₹1 crore each was provided to families of deceased CISF personnel under the Personal Accident Insurance Scheme, and motorised wheelchairs were distributed to differently-abled children of personnel. The Project Mann initiative of CISF for psychological counselling and welfare of personnel and families and Ayushman CAPF providing cashless healthcare facilities were also highlighted.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah will launch NAFED’s auction portal ‘NAFEX.in’ on 23 June 2026 at Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan, New Delhi. The event will also be attended by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with NAFED Chairman Shri Jethabhai Ahir and Managing Director Shri Deepak Agarwal. Along with NAFEX.in, several initiatives will be launched, including NAFED-KALYAN scholarship for farmers’ children, DRISHTI portal for inventory management of pulses and oilseeds, and an ERP portal for enterprise resource planning. The NAFEX.in auction portal is designed to strengthen transparency, efficiency, and digital processes in agricultural produce auctions and improve NAFED’s functioning for farmers and stakeholders. The programme also includes live registration demonstration and auction process launch. NAFED-KALYAN scholarships will be distributed to farmers’ children. NAFED operates in agricultural marketing, procurement, and cooperative-based agricultural trade and the initiatives align with the vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi”.

India has recorded more than 5 lakh organ donation pledges as part of its organ and tissue donation movement, marking a significant milestone in public participation. The development was reported on 22 June 2026 by PIB Delhi. The initiative is associated with the activities of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), which oversees organ donation awareness and coordination in the country. The registration process for organ donation pledges has been facilitated through the Aadhaar-based portal notto.abdm.gov.in, aimed at improving accessibility and transparency. The movement has received policy-level encouragement through references made in Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme, contributing to wider public awareness. The Government of India continues efforts to bridge the gap between organ demand and availability through institutional strengthening and transplantation system improvements, while State Governments and Union Territories are part of the implementation framework.

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, visited Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh on 21 June 2026 and toured the Cheetah Management Area, where she was briefed by the Divisional Forest Officer on Project Cheetah. The project was launched on 17 September 2022 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and is spearheaded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). It aims at the reintroduction of cheetahs in India after their extinction in the country and represents efforts toward biodiversity restoration. Kuno National Park has been developed as India’s first cheetah reintroduction site due to suitable habitat and minimal human disturbance. Under the project, cheetahs were translocated in multiple phases: the first batch arrived in September 2022 from Namibia, the second batch in February 2023 from South Africa, and the third batch in February 2026 from Botswana. During a state visit to Botswana in November 2025, the President witnessed the symbolic donation of eight cheetahs, which were brought to Kuno National Park in February 2026.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), headed by Chief Commissioner Smt. Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Shri Anupam Mishra, imposed a penalty of ₹1,00,000 each on M/s Storia Foods and Beverages Private Limited and Mrs. Bectors Food Specialities Limited (English Oven) for misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices related to the use of “100%” claims in food products. The action was taken under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements, 2022. The CCPA directed both companies to discontinue such claims across packaging, websites and digital platforms. The investigation covered products including Storia juices and coconut water and English Oven bread products, which were advertised as “100%” despite containing diluted or mixed compositions. The authority noted violations under Sections 2(9), 2(28), and 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, relating to consumer rights, misleading advertisements, and unfair trade practices. It was also observed that English Oven bread contained 87% whole wheat flour while still being marketed as “100% Atta” or “100% Whole Wheat”. The authority reaffirmed that “100%” is an absolute numerical claim and must accurately reflect the actual product composition.

Sports News

At the 56th Grand Prix Ústí nad Labem Boxing Tournament held in the Czech Republic, India won a total of 12 medals, including 8 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals. In the women’s category, Lovlina Borgohain won the gold medal in the 75 kg category, while Preeti Pawar, the reigning Asian champion, won gold in the 54 kg category. Sakshi (51 kg) and Priya (60 kg) also secured gold medals, and Parveen (65 kg) won a silver medal. In the men’s category, Jadumani Singh (55 kg), Sachin (60 kg), Ankush (80 kg), and Narender (90+ kg) won gold medals. Aditya Pratap (65 kg) and Kapil Pokhariya (90 kg) won silver medals, while Sumit Kundu (70 kg) secured a bronze medal. At the Boxing World Cup held in China, Jyoti won the gold medal in the women’s 48 kg category. Meenakshi (51 kg), Prachi (57 kg), and Deepak (men’s 70 kg) won silver medals, while Jagnu (85 kg) and Nikhil (55 kg) secured bronze medals, taking India’s total medal tally to six in the tournament.

India won the FIH Women’s Nations Cup title by defeating New Zealand by 2-0 in the final held at Auckland on June 21. The tournament featured eight countries. Navneet Kaur scored the first goal in the 4th minute through a penalty corner, while Sunelita Toppo scored the second goal in the 15th minute. This is India’s second FIH Women’s Nations Cup title, having previously won the championship in 2022. Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹2 lakh each for the players and ₹1.5 lakh each for the support staff. In the FIH Pro League, the Indian men’s hockey team defeated the Netherlands by 3-2 at Rotterdam. Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, and Rajinder Singh scored for India, while Pepijn van der Heijden and Koen Bijen scored for the Netherlands.

Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, became the first cricketer in the world to play 200 T20 International matches. She achieved this milestone while representing India in a T20 World Cup match against South Africa. With this achievement, Harmanpreet Kaur became the first woman cricketer and the first cricketer overall, including men’s cricket, to reach the landmark of 200 T20 International appearances.

Kieron Pollard of the West Indies became the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket during the Major League T20 match between MI New York and Washington Freedom held in Dallas, United States. Playing for MI New York, Pollard scored an unbeaten 100 runs off 56 balls. With this performance, he surpassed Chris Gayle’s record of 14,562 runs in T20 cricket. Kieron Pollard has now scored 14,582 runs in 736 T20 matches to become the leading run-scorer in the format. Alex Hales occupies the third position with 14,449 runs, while Jos Buttler is fourth with 14,371 runs.

States’ News

India’s largest wind turbine with a capacity of 5.3 MW has been installed at the Torrent Koppal site in Karnataka. The project is part of a 157.3 MW order received from Torrent Solar Power. The turbine was manufactured by Venwind Refex, a company of the Chennai-based Refex Group, with technology support from Vensys Energy AG of Germany. The turbine has a 130-metre tower and 91.2-metre-long blades. Suzlon Energy recently introduced a 5 MW wind turbine in India during the Global Wind Day event held in Goa. Envision, a Chinese company with manufacturing facilities in India, markets a 5 MW turbine, while Adani Wind, a division of Adani New Industries Ltd, manufactures 5.2 MW wind turbines.

Personalities, Awards and Events

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a further three-year extension of the tenure of Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, as notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), with the appointment effective from July 1, 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, making him continue as the second-highest legal officer of the Government of India; Tushar Mehta, who assumed office as Solicitor General in 2018, previously served as Additional Solicitor General from 2014 and earlier as Additional Advocate General of Gujarat in 2008, and with this extension he is set to complete 11 years as Solicitor General, making him one of the longest-serving holders of the post in India’s judicial administration, while the DoPT has also extended the tenure of five Additional Solicitor Generals (ASGs) for the Supreme Court of India, including Suryaprakash V. Raju, N. Venkataraman, and Aishwarya Bhati with effect from June 30, and Vikramjit Banerjee and K.M. Nataraj with effect from July 30, each for another three years, and also extended the tenure of Chetan Sharma, Additional Solicitor General for the Delhi High Court, for six months from July 1 or until further orders.

The 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026) concluded at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Dadar, Mumbai on 21 June 2026, showcasing awards in documentary, short fiction, and animation categories. The highest honour, the Golden Conch for Best Documentary Film, was awarded to the Polish film “Silver”, directed by Natalia Koniarz and produced by Maciej Kubicki. In the International Competition, the Silver Conch for Best Short Fiction Film was awarded to Iran’s “Under The Snow” directed by Nafiseh Zare, and the Best Animation Film award went to Germany’s “Maya’s Song” directed by Franziska Schönenberger and Jayakrishnan Subramanian. In the National Competition, the Best Indian Animation Film (Silver Conch) was awarded to “Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street” directed by Bhuvanesh M. Kumar, the Best Indian Short Fiction Film to “Small Clouds” directed by Shubham Sumit, and the Best Indian Documentary Film to “Waai” directed by Sainath S. Uskaikar. Technical awards in the National Competition included Best Sound Design: Bigyna Dahal (Kovarty), Best Editing: Akhil Krishnan (MAYDAY), and Best Cinematography: Ranadhir Biswas (Small Clouds). Technical awards in the International Competition included Best Sound Design: Abhay Rumde (Deva Aaj Pan Vhay), Best Editing: Evgeny Smirnov and Maksim Smirnov (About the Cow, Russia), and Best Cinematography: Krish Makhija (Turtle Walker). The festival concluded with the screening of the Golden Conch-winning film “Silver”, and the next edition is scheduled for 2028.

Tamil Nadu News

A major ammonia gas leak occurred at a seafood processing and export unit in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, resulting in the death of at least 7 migrant workers and affecting 67 others, with several workers reported in critical condition; the incident involved workers from states including Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar, and following the leak, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) 4th Battalion in Arakkonam was mobilised for emergency response, while affected workers suffered breathing difficulties and were shifted to nearby hospitals; according to Tamil Nadu Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Digital Services R. Kumar, the leaked ammonia gas was used as a coolant in the factory’s processing operations and included exposure of 60 women and 4 men, and the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ordered a probe and directed strict action against those responsible, while reports confirmed fatalities including two women from Odisha identified as 19-year-old Jumani Juwang and Malothi, and the incident is under investigation by district authorities as casualty numbers may rise.

International News

The Government of Norway has imposed a near ban on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in elementary schools and restricted their use for older students to prevent negative impacts on learning, with the policy announced by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, and implemented from the new school year beginning in late August 2026; under the policy, students from grades 1 to 7 (ages 6–13) are generally prohibited from using AI tools, while students in lower secondary school (ages 14–16) may use AI under teacher supervision, and students in upper secondary education (ages 17–19) are expected to learn appropriate use of AI for higher education and employment readiness; the decision follows a decline in education test scores and builds on earlier reforms including a 2024 ban on smartphones in schools, increased disciplinary powers for teachers, and a proposal to shift back towards increased use of books in classrooms, reversing earlier adoption of digital tools such as computers in the 1990s and tablets from 2010 onwards, while Norway has also announced plans to restrict social media use for children under 16 years of age.

A study on the San Andreas Fault system in the United States reports that the southern sections of the San Andreas Fault and the adjacent San Jacinto Fault are locked and have reached their highest stress levels in 1,000 years, increasing the likelihood of a major earthquake. The two faults lie along the boundary of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates and have accumulated stress over more than a century due to gradual plate movement while fault segments remain locked. Researchers identified a junction called the Cajon Pass, described as an “earthquake gate,” which can transmit or block seismic ruptures between the two fault systems. A past event in 1812, the Wrightwood earthquake (magnitude 7.5), is believed to have crossed this junction and caused 40 deaths. Scientists noted that future earthquakes in the range of magnitude 7.4 to 7.8 could spread through both fault systems, potentially impacting regions from Los Angeles to San Bernardino, Riverside, and the Coachella Valley, affecting critical infrastructure such as highways, railways, and energy corridors.

An Indian Army contingent has departed for Mongolia to participate in the multinational joint military exercise Exercise KHAAN QUEST 2026, scheduled from 20 June to 3 July 2026 at the Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar. The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability and cooperation among participating armed forces in peace support operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The Indian contingent consists of 40 personnel, including troops from a battalion of the JAT Regiment and personnel from other arms and services. The exercise, which began in 2003 as a bilateral event between the USA and Mongolian Defence Forces, became a multinational peacekeeping exercise from 2006, and the current edition is the 23rd iteration. The exercise focuses on joint planning and tactical drills including checkpoint establishment, cordon and search operations, patrolling, evacuation of civilians, counter-IED drills, combat first aid, and casualty evacuation, and aims to improve operational readiness and cooperation among participating countries.

Reports and Indices

India has emerged as the world’s top ship recycling nation in 2025, with its global share increasing to 35.4% in 2025 from 30.1% in 2024, according to the latest report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as stated by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; the country’s ship recycling volume rose significantly to 2.99 million gross tonnes in 2025, compared to 1.86 million gross tonnes in 2024, marking an increase of nearly 60%, and with this achievement India has reached the target under Maritime India Vision 2030 five years ahead of schedule; the Ministry highlighted that this development reflects sustained policy reforms, industrial efforts, and compliance with international environmental and safety standards, strengthening India’s position as a global hub for responsible and sustainable ship recycling.

Economy News

Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based startup, became India’s fifth unicorn of 2026 with a valuation of $1.5 billion after raising $234 million in a Series B funding round led by HCLTech. The company crossed the $1 billion valuation mark following this funding, marking a significant development in India’s sovereign AI ambitions. HCLTech invested ₹1,427 crore for a 10.46% stake in Sarvam AI, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners and continued support from Khosla Ventures and Peak XV Partners. Sarvam AI joins other Indian unicorns of 2026, including Juspay, Neysa, KreditBee, and Skyroot Aerospace. The company focuses on building foundational artificial intelligence infrastructure, including frontier model research, training systems, and enterprise and government applications, contributing to India’s sovereign AI development goals.