Monthly current affairs for June 2026

According to the “State of India’s Digital Economy (SIDE) 2026” report released by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)-Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy (IPCIDE), India ranks as the world’s 5th most digitalised economy.

In the Connect, Harness, Innovate, Protect and Sustain (CHIPS) index for AI, India is positioned 4th globally, behind USA, China, and Singapore. India also recorded an 8.8% growth in internet users. It is to be noted that India accounts for 19.9% of global AI users and possesses the 2nd largest concentration of AI talent worldwide.

India has issued a Letter of Request (LoR) to France for a government-to-government (G2G) deal worth ₹3.25 lakh crore to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Under this agreement, 94 of these aircraft will be manufactured in India by Dassault Aviation in collaboration with an Indian partner. The first Rafale-M jets are expected to be delivered by 2028.

Major Prabhat Mishra of the Indian Army (IA), belonging to the 22 Kumaon Regiment, has been honoured with the Birrer-Brookes Award for Outstanding Master of Military Arts and Science (MMAS) Thesis and the General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Award.

He has also received the Golden Pen Award for scholarly excellence. It is to be noted that he is the first Indian officer to win both the awards simultaneously.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the establishment of a 250 MW Solar Power Project at the Sitapur Ex-Cantonment area in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first large-scale green energy installation developed on vacant defence land.

The project will feature an integrated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to store surplus energy and ensure a stable power supply. NTPC Ltd will implement the project through a competitive bidding process.

American investment firm GQG Partners has sold a 1.85% stake in GMR Airports Ltd (GAL) to Fidelity International Ltd (FIL) through Open Market Operations (OMOs) for ₹1,906 crore.

Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced the launch of a digital portal supported by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to strengthen scientific research and innovation. The announcement was made during a joint review meeting of all science Ministries in New Delhi.

The portal serves as a capacity-building platform for researchers and young innovators, providing support in scientific writing, publication processes, Intellectual Property (IP) protection, and patent-related procedures.

The Kerala government has launched the Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK), which is the first fully digitised and judiciary-integrated wildlife offence management system of India.

The HAWK operates as a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to manage wildlife crime data and support enforcement efforts. The system integrates forest records with the District Court Management System through an Application Programming Interface (API), making Kerala the first state in India to implement such a judiciary-integrated framework.

India, captained by Ketan Kushwaha, clinched the gold medal at the Hockey U18 Asia Cup 2026 by defeating Japan 4–1 in the final of the men's category. The tournament, organized by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), was held in Kakamigahara, Japan.

Ashish Purti was named Player of the Match in the final and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 13 goals, while Ayush Rajak was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper.

The Indian Women’s U18 Hockey Team, led by captain Sweety Kujur, secured the bronze medal after a 3–0 victory over South Korea. China claimed the gold medal in the women’s category by defeating Japan 2–1, while Nousheen Naz of India emerged as the top scorer with 12 goals.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) and Central Government General Pool Office Accommodation (CGGPOA) in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. It is to be noted that this is the first GPRA project to be established in the state.

India has joined ‘Project Glasswing’, a global cybersecurity initiative led by Anthropic PBC, gaining access to ‘Claude Mythos AI’, an advanced AI model.

This model is designed to identify software vulnerabilities and strengthen cyber defences for critical infrastructure, helping participating nations enhance their cybersecurity resilience and safeguard their critical digital infrastructure.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched India’s first passenger Flex-Fuel Vehicle (FFV), the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, capable of running on ethanol-petrol blends ranging from 20% ethanol (E20) to E100.

It is to be noted that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also launched Hero MotoCorp’s first flex-fuel motorcycles, the ‘Splendor+ Flex Fuel’ and ‘HF Deluxe Flex Fuel’, in New Delhi. These initiatives are aimed at promoting ethanol-based mobility in India.

The Union Cabinet has passed a resolution recognizing 10 June 2026, as PM Narendra Modi becomes the longest-serving elected Prime Minister of India. PM Modi achieved this record with 4,399 days of continuous service, surpassing the previous record held by Jawaharlal Nehru, who served for 4,398 continuous days between 1952 and 1964.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), has launched a premium brand named “RISA - Timeless Tribal” for tribal textiles, embroideries, and handicrafts. An exclusive RISA store was inaugurated at the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan in New Delhi.

The initiative aims to establish a brand identity for tribal products, strengthen market linkages for tribal artisans, facilitate design development, and promote tribal heritage in domestic and international markets.

According to data by Bloomberg, India has slipped to the 7th position in global market capitalization (mcap) with a valuation of $4.84 trillion, while South Korea has ascended to the 6th position with $5.01 trillion.

The USA leads the global mcap rankings with $79.1 trillion, followed by China, Japan, and Hong Kong. Additionally, India’s share in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Global Standard Index has decreased from 21% in September 2024 to 12.3%.

The Government of India (GoI) has approved 22 new applicants under the third round of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles. These entities are expected to bring an investment of ₹2,339.14 crore and generate a turnover of ₹15,561.34 crore.

With this, a total of 96 companies have been selected under the third round of the scheme, with a cumulative committed investment of ₹12,822.67 crore and a projected turnover of ₹58,294.18 crore. The approved applicants operate in the Man-Made Fibre (MMF) Apparel, MMF Fabrics, and Technical Textiles segments.

The Ministry of Finance has introduced reforms to increase the participation of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in Government Securities (G-Secs).

The measures include tax exemptions on interest income, Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG), and Short Term Capital Gains (STCG). Additionally, the reforms involve the expansion of specified securities under the Fully Accessible Route (FAR).

The Government of India (GoI) has extended the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) until August 2026 or until guarantees amounting to ₹20,000 crore are issued, whichever is earlier.

The government has also increased the maximum loan amount cap for Large Sized Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs)/Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) from ₹300 crore to ₹1,000 crore, subject to an overall ceiling of 20% of Assets under Management (AUM).

The RBI has introduced two special USD-Rupee forex swap facilities to attract foreign currency inflows and support external financing.

The first facility is for fresh Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank (FCNR (B)) deposits, allowing Authorised Dealer (AD) Category-I banks to access the RBI’s forex swap facility (available in USD only) for deposits raised in any freely convertible currency.

The second facility is for eligible External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) with an average maturity of 3 years and above, and overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) raised by AD Category-I banks with a minimum maturity of 3 years.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has partnered with Rapido (Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd) to promote the RahVeer Scheme.

The scheme, launched by the MoRTH in 2025, is a reward-based initiative to encourage citizens to provide timely assistance to road accident victims during the critical golden hour. Under the scheme, those providing life-saving support are assured of protection from legal or procedural concerns and are eligible for a reward of ₹25,000.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has signed reform-linked MoUs with Manipur and Bihar under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.

The agreements aim to shift the focus from infrastructure creation to long-term sustainability by establishing a Gram Panchayat-led, service-based, and community-centered governance framework. With this, 33 out of 34 eligible States and Union Territories have signed the agreement with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under JJM 2.0.