Daily Current Affairs

In June 2026, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released the latest edition of the ‘State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2026’ under the theme ‘Blue Transformation: Turning Vision into Impact’. India emerged as the world’s 2nd largest producer of aquatic animals, only after China, contributing 9% of the world’s total aquatic animals in 2024.

• India’s Inland Rank: Globally ranked 1st in inland water catches — producing 2.2 MT from rivers, lakes, and freshwater systems, ahead of Bangladesh’s 1.4 MT.
• Global Production: Global fisheries and aquaculture production reached a new high of 255 Million Tonnes (MT) in 2024, including 195 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 40 million tonnes of algae — growth of 5.2% from 2022.
• Aquaculture Record: Global aquaculture production reached a record high of 142 MT in 2024 — the key driver of growth in aquatic animal production.
• Top-5 Dominance: China, Indonesia, India, Viet Nam, and Bangladesh together account for 84% of total global output and 82% of global production of all farmed aquatic animals.
• Report Publisher: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations); headquartered in Rome, Italy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Odisha on 20 June 2026, participating in a series of official events focused on development and infrastructure growth. President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu also joined the PM during the visit. Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for developmental projects worth over Rs 47,600 crore at Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.

• Key Launch: PM and President jointly laid the foundation stone of India’s first commercial-scale Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project at Lakhanpur, Odisha.
• 2-Year Milestone: On 20 June 2026, President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi participated in a programme marking 2 years of the Government of India at Rairangpur; theme: ‘Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara’.
• Model Solar Village: PM announced that Pahadpur will be developed as a Model Solar Village — ensuring every household is equipped for solar power generation.
• Sectors covered: Energy, industrial infrastructure, road connectivity, drinking water, health, tourism, and irrigation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a two-day state visit to West Bengal from 20 to 21 June 2026. PM participated in Paschimbanga Divas celebrations held at Tarakeswar, Hooghly — theme: ‘West Bengal: Heritage, Harmony and Development’. During the programme, PM launched development projects spanning railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries, and animal husbandry.

• Paschimbanga Divas: Celebrated at Tarakeswar, Hooghly; theme: ‘West Bengal: Heritage, Harmony and Development’.
• Development Projects: PM launched projects spanning railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries, and animal husbandry.
• PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas: Government of India organised awareness programmes at state, district, block, and Gram Panchayat levels to celebrate the major milestone achieved under PM-KISAN.
• PM-KISAN: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi — a direct income support scheme providing Rs 6,000 per year to eligible farmers in three installments.

Union Minister of State (MoS) Independent Charge (I/C) Arjun Ram Meghwal, Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ), approved the continuation of the Central Sector Scheme DISHA — restructured as DISHA 2.0 — with an outlay of Rs 255 crore for five years from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2031.

• Full Form: DISHA = Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice.
• Funding: 100% Gross Budgetary Support; recommended by the Standing Finance Committee chaired by Niraj Verma, Secretary, Department of Justice (DoJ), MoLJ.
• Constitutional Mandate: Strengthens ‘Access to Justice’ under the Preamble and Articles 14, 21, and 39A of the Constitution of India.
• SDG Alignment: Supports UN SDG-16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions; aligns with Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
• Target: Aims to achieve cumulative outreach of 3.00 crore beneficiaries; implemented pan-India across all States and UTs.

In June 2026, the Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags to four products from Madhya Pradesh: Khurasani Imli, Garadu tuber, Balam Kakdi (cucumber), and Malvi Potato.

• Khurasani Imli: Light green fruit with sour-sweet taste; grows across villages in Mandu region, Dhar district of MP; fruit of the iconic Baobab tree (scientific name: Adansonia digitata).
• Balam Kakdi: Special variety of cucumber grown in the tribal region of Sailana, Ratlam district, MP; known for unique taste and saffron and green hues; eaten as snack or salad in summers.
• Garadu: Special starchy tuber grown in Bandgard, Khetalpur regions of Ratlam district; deep-fried and served with spices during winter season.
• Malvi Potato: Known for low sugar and starch content; retains a white colour after frying; ideal for chips, French fries, and popular street foods like Alloo Chaat, Poha, Aloo Bada, and Khopra Petis.
• GI Registry: GIR is under DPIIT, MoC&I; GI tags protect unique geographical products and their origin.

On 20 June 2026, Harsh Vardhan, President of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), was honoured with the Global Prestige Award at the House of Lords, United Kingdom (UK) Parliament, London, for his significant contribution towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

• Award Theme: ‘Visionaries of Change: Charting the Course to Viksit Bharat 2047’ — celebrated global leaders contributing to development, innovation, peace, and justice.
• Venue: House of Lords, UK Parliament, London — 20 June 2026.
• Significance: Recognises distinguished individuals for leadership, innovation, and dedication, along with contribution towards global peace, justice, and development.
• BCA Leadership: Harsh Vardhan was elected unopposed as the youngest President in the history of the BCA in September 2025.

In June 2026, India secured the gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay at the 2nd edition of Asian Relays Championships held in Shangyu, China, with a season’s best performance — finishing the event with a total of three medals.

• Gold Medal Team: Srabani Nanda, Sneha Shanavalli, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Tamanna — timing: 43.85 seconds, ahead of China (44.09 sec) and Thailand (44.11 sec).
• Silver Medal: India secured silver in the mixed 4x400m relay — MR Poovamma, Neeru Pathak, Theerthesh P Shetty, and Barath Sridhar.
• Bronze Medal: India secured bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay — Animesh Kujur, Pranav Gurav, Tamanna, and Sneha Shanavalli — timing: 41.47 seconds.
• About Event: Continental event featuring men’s, women’s, and mixed relay categories; serves as key preparatory competition for Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
• Next Event: India will host the 2027 Asian Relays Championships in Chandigarh.

In June 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla launched the book ‘IIT: The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem’, authored by Prabhat Kumar, IRS officer and Chairman of PanIIT Alumni India, during a special event at IIT Delhi.

• Publisher: HarperCollins India.
• Legacy: Publication marks 75 years of the IIT ecosystem; coincides with launch of the global PanIIT Book Club.
• Objective: Traces the seven-decade evolution from its origin at Hijli Detention Camp (IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal) in 1951 to 23 campuses today.
• Scope: Covers student life, families, placements, startups, AI, venture capital, and India’s technological growth — beyond campus success stories.
• First IIT: IIT Kharagpur — established at the Hijli Detention Camp, West Bengal, in 1951.

In June 2026, the World Bank approved financing of USD 1.5 billion to support India’s structural reforms aimed at accelerating private sector-led job creation and economic growth under the Private Sector Development Policy Financing (DPF) programme.

• Objective: Create employment for around 11 million youth annually over the next two decades; support private sector-led growth; strengthen India’s economic resilience and productivity.
• DPF Focus: Supports reforms to boost competitiveness, employment, and private sector growth.
• Programme: Private Sector Development Policy Financing (DPF).
• World Bank HQ: Washington D.C., USA; current President: Ajay Banga.

In June 2026, the World Bank approved a loan of Rs 4,000 crore under the Rs 5,714 crore ‘Jal Sanrakshit Haryana’ Project, aimed at making Haryana state self-reliant in the water sector through improved water management and conservation.

• Total Project Cost: Rs 5,714 crore; World Bank loan portion: Rs 4,000 crore.
• Structure: 15 clusters across Haryana covering 48.94 lakh acres; focused on improving water availability and distribution efficiency.
• Objective: Make Haryana self-reliant in the water sector; improve water conservation and management at scale.

In June 2026, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) launched PFRDA Pension Sahayak — an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled grievance redressal platform for subscribers of pension schemes regulated by the authority.

• Objective: Consolidates various pension service channels into a single digital system — straightforward, accessible, and transparent grievance resolution.
• Old System Replaced: Replaces the earlier Central Grievance Management System (CGMS); brings together web, mobile, and WhatsApp-based services on one platform.
• Access: Subscriber can log in using mobile number and OTP — eliminating the need to remember PRAN; all PRNs linked to one mobile number displayed under a single login.
• PFRDA: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority; statutory body; regulates the National Pension System (NPS).

In June 2026, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), private-sector arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), pledged USD 371 million to Sify Infinit Spaces Limited (SISL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sify Technologies Limited, to support development of AI-ready, energy-efficient Data Centre (DC) infrastructure in India.

• Funding Structure: IFC provides USD 71 million (loan equivalent to Rs 675 crore) and up to USD 300 million raised from other lenders.
• Two New Data Centres: Next-generation DCs in Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu); built per Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum standards.
• Project Capacity: Combined capacity of 103 MW; designed to support AI workloads.
• IFC: Private-sector arm of the World Bank Group; promotes private sector investment in developing countries.
• Sify Technologies: Indian IT company; SISL is its data centre subsidiary.

In June 2026, the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) signed an MoU with Bharat Metal Exchange (BME), formerly Bombay Metal Exchange Limited, to promote development and adoption of non-ferrous metal derivatives in India.

• Key Metals: Collaboration focuses on copper (Cu), aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) — crucial for India’s industrial and manufacturing sectors.
• Aim: Strengthen market participation, develop efficient hedging tools, promote awareness of exchange-traded derivatives in the non-ferrous metals segment.
• Impact: Bridge gap between physical and derivatives markets by enhancing liquidity, transparency, and participation in India’s non-ferrous metals ecosystem.
• BME: Formerly known as Bombay Metal Exchange Limited; rebranded as Bharat Metal Exchange (BME).
• NSE: National Stock Exchange of India; India’s largest stock exchange by trading volume; HQ: Mumbai.

In June 2026, CRED Founder Kunal Shah reportedly joined Meta Platforms Inc. and was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WhatsApp globally.

• Kunal Shah — Background: Indian entrepreneur and investor; Founder and CEO of CRED, a Bengaluru-based fintech company; also founded FreeCharge, one of India’s early digital payments platforms (later acquired by Snapdeal).
• CRED Journey: Launched with USD 1 million after exiting FreeCharge; between 2019–2025 grew to 17 million users and raised USD 900 million.
• Miten Sampat: Had been leading CRED strategy and finance since 2020; will serve as Interim CEO of CRED.
• CRED Milestones: Recorded its first profitable quarter in 2026; raised USD 900 million from Meta; announced its fifth ESOP buyback.

In June 2026, the Digital India BHASHAINi (BHASHa INterface for India) Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), and the Assam Innovation & Startup Foundation (AISF), a Section 8 company under DIISS, Government of Assam, signed an MoU to promote language technology and multilingual AI solutions in Assam.

• Aim: Expand access to digital services and promote technological innovation using Indian languages.
• Initiative: DIBD and AISF will collaborate under the BHASHINI Rajyam initiative to enable multilingual access to AISF programmes, digital platforms, and services.
• Integration Focus: Integrating DIBD Language Translation API into official platforms; improving Assamese and other regional language services; developing voice-enabled applications; supporting linguistic data through Bhashadaan.
• BHASHINI: India’s national language translation mission under MeitY — aims to make the internet and digital services accessible in Indian languages.
• Bhashadaan: A crowdsourcing platform for collecting Indian language data to train AI/ML models.

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice is annually celebrated on 21st June to create awareness about the importance and significance of the solstice in various religions and ethnic cultures across the globe.

• Background: Officially established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 20 June 2019 under Resolution A/RES/73/300.
• First Observed: 21 June 2020.
• Global Significance: Solstices and equinoxes represent shared celestial events that transcend national borders; linked to cultural and religious traditions worldwide.
• Summer Solstice (Northern Hemisphere): 21 June — the longest day of the year; the sun reaches its northernmost point.

World Music Day, also known as Fête de la Musique, is observed annually across the world on 21 June to promote music through public performances worldwide and spread unity and creativity. The 2026 observance marked the 44th anniversary of World Music Day.

• 2026 Theme: ‘Music for Peace’ — promotes peace, unity, and harmony through the universal language of music.
• Inspiration: Inspired by the French slogan ‘Faites de la musique’ (Make Music), which encourages self-expression and participation through music.
• Origin: Started in France in 1982 by Jack Lang, then French Minister of Culture, and Maurice Fleuret, a music journalist and composer.
• First Celebration: 21 June 1982 in Paris, coinciding with the summer solstice; later expanded to European countries.
• European Charter: In 1997, the European Charter of Fête de la Musique was signed in Budapest, Hungary, promoting cross-border participation and wider global reach.