Environment
World Refrigeration Day — 26 June 2026
Observed annually on 26 June. Established in 2019 by Stephen Gill, former President of the Institute of Refrigeration, UK. 2026 marks the 8th edition; theme: ‘Cool Intelligence’. Covers RACHP (Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning & Heat Pump) technologies. Not a UN-proclaimed day. UNEP’s OzonAction ran the ‘Five Days of Cool Intelligence’ campaign from 22–26 June 2026.
Monetary Policy
RBI’s Revised NBFC Scale Based Regulation — June 2026
RBI (HQ: Mumbai; est: 1 April 1935) issued the Second Amendment Directions, 2026, effective 24 June 2026. NBFCs with assets of Rs 1 lakh crore or more automatically classified as NBFC–Upper Layer (NBFC-UL). Threshold reviewed every 3 years (earlier: 5 years). Government-owned NBFCs in UL category are exempt from mandatory stock exchange listing within 3 years.
Gender & Development
THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 — MAHE Tops SDG-5
8th edition of THE Sustainability Impact Ratings released June 2026. Overall topper: University of Manchester, UK. India’s Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Karnataka, ranked 1st globally in SDG-5 (Gender Equality); in 101–200 global band overall. Results announced at Global Sustainable Development Congress, Jakarta. 1,646 universities from 116 countries evaluated.
Science
New VSSC Director — Dr. U.P. Rajeev (June 2026)
Dr. U.P. Rajeev appointed Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Succeeds Dr. A. Rajarajan (retired on superannuation). VSSC is ISRO’s premier centre for launch vehicle design and development. Established in 1963 as TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station); renamed after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai — father of India’s space programme. Dr. Rajeev earlier served as Associate Director (R&D) at VSSC.
Science & Technology
World’s First Nuclear-Based Hydrogen Production Facility — IGCAR
Inaugurated by DAE Secretary Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty at IGCAR, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Uses the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) Thermochemical Cycle with nuclear process heat from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR). Jointly commissioned by BARC & IGCAR (both under DAE). A global first — enables carbon-free hydrogen production with zero greenhouse gas emissions. Indigenously developed.
Sports
India Tops ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 — Suhl, Germany
5th edition of ISSF Junior World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun held at Suhl, Germany, 16–26 June 2026. India topped with 25 medals (7G, 8S, 10B). 2nd: Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) — 14 medals. 3rd: Italy — 10 medals. India fielded an 84-member contingent. Over 800 shooters from 70 countries. ISSF is for athletes under 21 years as of 31 December of competition year.
Business & Economy
Goldman Sachs India GDP Forecast Upgrade — June 2026
Report: ‘India: Improved Macro Outlook after the USA-Iran Deal’. CY26 GDP raised +30 bps to 6.8%; FY2026-27 raised +40 bps to 6.5%. Q1 CY26 growth: 7.8% YoY (~50 bps above estimate). Inflation lowered to 4.4%; CAD reduced to 1.1% of GDP; BoP surplus: 0.7% of GDP. Core goods inflation forecast: 3.2% for CY26 (down 30 bps).
Business & Economy
Amazon’s USD 48 Billion India Investment (2026–2030)
Announced 25 June 2026 following meeting between Andy Jassy (CEO, Amazon) and PM Modi. Total: USD 48 billion; of which USD 13 billion for AI & cloud (AWS). Expands AWS data centres in Mumbai and Hyderabad. By 2030: 3.8 million jobs, USD 80 billion in e-commerce exports, AI benefits to 15 million SMEs, AI education to 4 million govt school students.
Defence
Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla — ‘The Second Orbit’ (June 2026)
Memoir titled ‘The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts’ released by Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh (Chief of the Air Staff) in June 2026. Published by Vintage Books / Penguin Random House India. Shukla is the first Indian to visit the ISS (Axiom-4 mission). Conferred the Ashoka Chakra — India’s highest peacetime gallantry award — on Republic Day 2026.
Geopolitics
Colombia Presidential Election — Jaime de la Espriella (June 2026)
Jaime Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential runoff, backed by Defenders of the Homeland (Defensores de la Patria) alliance. Defeated Iván Cepeda (Historic Pact) with 49.66% vs 48.70% of the vote. VP-elect: José Manuel Restrepo Abondano. Assumes office: 7 August 2026, succeeding Gustavo Petro. Presidential term: 2026–2030. Capital: Bogotá.