Daily Current Affairs

Union Minister Jagat Prakash (JP) Nadda, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), launched a series of digital health initiatives in New Delhi in June 2026 to strengthen India’s Digital Public Infrastructure for Health and promote interoperable digital health solutions nationwide.

• Aarogya Setu 2.0 — Rebuilt national health app and Personal Health Record (PHR) platform; enables creating an ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) ID, managing health records, using PM-JAY wallet, setting medicine reminders, finding nearby health services, and controlling consent-based data sharing.
• Ayushman Sarathi — WhatsApp chatbot for PM-JAY; provides round-the-clock access to eligibility checks, Ayushman Card downloads, hospital search, grievance tracking, and treatment history.
• UHI — Unified Health Interface; NHCX — National Health Claims Exchange.
• NHA — National Health Authority; NRCeS — National Centre for EHR Standards, developed under NHA.

In June 2026, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) announced two key initiatives — the constitution of a High-Level Study Group and Model State Cinema Regulations — aimed at strengthening India’s film industry, enhancing global competitiveness, and driving expansion of cinema infrastructure nationwide.

• High-Level Study Group: MIB appointed Prasoon Joshi (Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification — CBFC) to head the group; includes industry experts and technology partners; must submit its report to MIB within 3 months.
• Model State Cinema Regulations: Designed to facilitate expansion of cinema halls and theatres, particularly in small towns and rural areas; Government of India will assist states in implementation.
• MIB: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; responsible for policy, regulation, and oversight of India’s media, entertainment, and film sectors.
• CBFC: Central Board of Film Certification; statutory body under the Cinematograph Act, 1952; certifies films for public exhibition in India; HQ: Mumbai.

In July 2026, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Cooperation, launched the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) 2.0 Portal and the electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card system in New Delhi, to strengthen digital governance, simplify compliance, and enhance citizen services.

• Guiding Principle: Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.
• FCRA: Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010; regulates acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations, and companies; administered by MHA.
• OCI: Overseas Citizen of India card; granted to foreign nationals of Indian origin; confers lifelong visa and multiple entry rights.
• FCRA Amendment Rules, 2026 — notified ahead of the FCRA 2.0 portal launch.

The 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2026 was held on 1–2 July 2026 at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The conference promotes digital governance, citizen-centric service delivery, and best-practice sharing among states and central ministries.

• Organised by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
• Significance: Annual flagship event of the Government of India for e-Governance; provides a platform for Union, State Governments, and UT Administrations to share best practices in e-Governance implementations.
• Venue: Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur — NCeG rotates across state capitals each year.

In June 2026, the Government of India (GoI) identified 25 Tiger Reserves (TRs) across the country for priority recovery through targeted, science-led interventions. The announcement was made by Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, MoEFCC, during an event in Alwar, Rajasthan, marking 18 years of tiger reintroduction at Sariska Tiger Reserve.

• Key Concern: Despite India’s tiger population growing at an annual rate of 6%, about 25 of 58 TRs are low on tigers, have no tigers, or have low prey abundance.
• Potential Recipient TRs: Include Satkosia (Odisha), Buxa (West Bengal), and Palamau (Jharkhand) — sites with ecological potential but absent or declining tiger populations.
• Key Challenges: Low prey density, fragmented habitat connectivity, and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) disrupting protection in the Central-Eastern belt.
• MoEFCC: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; nodal ministry for wildlife and forest conservation.

In June 2026, the GoI, along with the Governments of Haryana and Rajasthan, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in New Delhi to implement the Yamuna Water Project, resolving the long-pending inter-state water dispute. The agreement was signed under the chairmanship of Union Minister Amit Shah (MHA), in the presence of Union Minister C.R. Patil (Ministry of Jal Shakti) and the Chief Ministers of Haryana and Rajasthan.

• Objective: To implement the 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) Agreement and provide Rajasthan its allocated share of Yamuna water.
• Ministry of Jal Shakti: Nodal ministry for water resources, river development, and Ganga rejuvenation; Union Minister: C.R. Patil.
• Hathnikund Barrage: Located in Yamunanagar, Haryana; key regulator of Yamuna flows into the Western and Eastern Yamuna Canals.

In June 2026, the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on water resources cooperation during the inaugural Saudi Water Week held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

• Aim: Strengthen bilateral cooperation in sustainable water management, irrigation, capacity building, and technical knowledge exchange.
• Significance: Strengthens the India–Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership; supports sustainable water conservation alongside energy, trade, investment, technology, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
• India–Saudi Arabia: Bilateral relations underpinned by approximately 2.2 million Indian diaspora — the world’s largest; Saudi Arabia is among India’s top 5 crude oil suppliers; elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2019.

In June 2026, Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) celebrated its 119th Foundation Day by unveiling a series of customer-centric digital banking initiatives, a new Vision & Mission Statement, and technology-driven banking solutions at an event in New Delhi.

• New Vision & Mission Statement: Centred on customer-centric banking, innovation, and sustainable growth.
• Navjyoti Mobile App: In-house HR application for employees.
• PSB Bharat Connect Account: Specialised savings account for Central and State Government employees; offers customised banking benefits and digital banking services.
• Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB): Established 1908; nationalised 1969; headquartered in New Delhi; a public sector bank under the Ministry of Finance.

In June 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted an Expert Working Group (EWG) chaired by former Whole-Time Member (WTM) Ananta Barua in New Delhi, to review the regulatory framework for debenture trustees under the SEBI (Debenture Trustees) Regulations, 1993.

• Task: Examine stakeholder representations and net-worth norms; recommend measures to simplify, rationalise, and strengthen the regulatory framework by aligning it with evolving debt market developments and enhancing investor protection.
• SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India; established 1988, acquired statutory status 1992; HQ: Mumbai; regulator for securities and commodity markets in India.
• SEBI (Debenture Trustees) Regulations, 1993: Governs registration, obligations, and duties of debenture trustees in India.

In June 2026, SBI Life Insurance Company Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, Maharashtra, to establish the ‘Bharat AI & Cyber Innovation Hub for Insurance’ — a joint research and innovation centre aimed at building India’s own deep-technology defence systems for the insurance sector.

• Signed by: Prof. S.V. Kulkarni (Dean — R&D, IIT-B) and Vishal Bhat (Chief Information and Digital Officer, SBI Life Insurance).
• Areas of Collaboration: Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, quantum technologies, and digital insurance systems; also talent development, strategic consulting, innovation incubation, and collaborative research.
• SBI Life Insurance: Established 2000; HQ: Mumbai, Maharashtra; joint venture between State Bank of India (SBI) and BNP Paribas Cardif (insurance arm of France’s BNP Paribas).

In June 2026, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the re-appointment of Ravi Agrawal as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on a contract basis for another 6 months, effective 1 July 2026.

• ACC: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet; headed by the Prime Minister; approves senior government appointments.
• CBDT: Central Board of Direct Taxes; apex body for direct tax administration under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance; established 1964; HQ: New Delhi.
• IRS: Indian Revenue Service; cadre responsible for direct and indirect tax administration in India.

In June 2026, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), successfully completed India’s first satellite-based landing system (SLS) approach on a commercial jet aircraft — an IndiGo Airbus A320 — at Maharana Pratap Airport, Udaipur, Rajasthan. This marks India’s first jet aircraft GAGAN-guided precision landing approach.

• GAGAN: India’s indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) for civil aviation; jointly developed by ISRO and AAI (Airports Authority of India).
• LPV Approach: Provides pilots both lateral (left-right) and vertical (up-down) guidance to the runway — offering precision similar to ILS (Instrument Landing System) without requiring specialised ground-based equipment at the airport.
• LPV Expansion: At present, 23 LPV approaches have been published; expected to exceed 40 by end of 2026.
• Significance: Major step toward satellite-guided precision landings in India; reduces dependence on ground-based navigation infrastructure; benefits smaller airports in remote/hilly areas.
• DGCA: Directorate General of Civil Aviation; regulatory body for civil aviation in India under Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

In July 2026, legendary Marathi theatre and film personality Vijaya Mehta, popularly known as ‘Bai’, passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was born in 1934 in Vadodara, Gujarat.

• Theatre Legacy: One of the founder-members of Rangayan, a pioneering theatre group, alongside playwright Vijay Tendulkar and veteran actors Arvind Deshpande and Shreeram Lagoo.
• Autobiography: Authored the acclaimed autobiography ‘Zimma: A Memoir’.
• Padma Shri: India’s fourth-highest civilian award; conferred by the Government of India.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi: India’s national academy for performing arts (music, drama, dance); established 1952; HQ: New Delhi.

The United Nations (UN) International Day of Parliamentarism, also known as World Parliament Day, is observed annually on 30 June to highlight the role of parliaments in strengthening democracy, accountability, human rights, and inclusive governance. In 2026, the day marks the 137th anniversary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

• Established by: UN General Assembly (UNGA) through Resolution A/RES/72/278 in 2018.
• Significance of 30 June: Commemorates the founding of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), established in Paris, France on 30 June 1889.
• IPU: The global organisation of national parliaments; promotes parliamentary democracy; HQ: Geneva, Switzerland.
• 2026 milestone: Marks the 137th anniversary of the IPU (1889–2026).

National Doctors’ Day is observed annually across India on 1 July to acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable services of doctors and healthcare professionals. The 2026 theme is ‘Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?’

• Significance: Marks the birth and death anniversary of Bharat Ratna awardee Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (B.C. Roy) — renowned physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal.
• Dr. B.C. Roy: Born 1 July 1882; passed away 1 July 1962; awarded Bharat Ratna in 1961; served as CM of West Bengal from 1948 to 1962.
• First Observance: 1 July 1991, following a recommendation by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
• Organiser: Observed annually by the IMA — the apex voluntary organisation of modern medicine practitioners in India; HQ: New Delhi.

National Chartered Accountants Day (CA Day) is observed annually on 1 July to commemorate the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in 1949 and to honour the vital role of Chartered Accountants in promoting financial transparency and driving India’s economic growth. 1 July 2026 marks the 78th foundation anniversary of ICAI.

• ICAI Established: Parliament enacted the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, establishing ICAI on 1 July 1949 as the statutory regulator of the Chartered Accountancy profession in India.
• Historical Context: Before ICAI, the CA profession was regulated under the Indian Companies Act, 1913.
• ICAI: World’s second-largest accounting body by membership; HQ: New Delhi; statutory body under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• 78th Anniversary: 2026 − 1949 = 78 years since ICAI’s founding.