Monthly current affairs for June 2026

President Droupadi Murmu conferred gallantry awards during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026, held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. The awards included 7 Kirti Chakras (2 posthumous), 15 Vir Chakras (3 posthumous), and 29 Shaurya Chakras (1 posthumous).

Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari and Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar were awarded the Kirti Chakra posthumously. Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Sub Inspector (GD) Mohd Imteyaj, and Constable (GD) Deepak Chingakham were posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, while Lance Dhadr (L/DFR) Baldev Chand was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

The RBI has released the ‘Annual Report 2025-26’. The Balance Sheet (BS) of the RBI expanded by 20.6% in FY26, increasing from ₹76.25 lakh crore to ₹91.97 lakh crore, registering a growth of ₹15.72 lakh crore. A provision of ₹1.09 lakh crore was transferred to the Contingency Fund (CF).

The expansion on the assets side was driven by a 44.9% increase in domestic investments to ₹22.59 lakh crore, a 63.8% rise in gold holdings to ₹10.94 lakh crore, and a 7.9% growth in foreign investments to ₹52.68 lakh crore. The number of reported fraud cases declined to 10,114 from 23,722 in the previous year.

Japan-based SoftBank Group has divested a 3.25% stake in Lenskart Solutions through its affiliate SoftBank Vision Fund II (SVF II) Lightbulb (Cayman) Ltd. The transaction was executed through the sale of 5.65 crore shares.

Technology Hub (T-Hub) has inaugurated the third cohort of the ORBIT programme, an Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)-supported Atal Innovation Incubation Centre (AIC)-T-Hub Space-Tech Accelerator Programme. The third cohort includes 13 startups, including Sanyak Space Technologies, Humanity Space, Red Balloon Aerospace, and Nibiaa Devices.

With this, the ORBIT programme has supported 36 space-tech startups in total, while the broader space-tech initiatives of T-Hub have engaged over 100 startups. It is to be noted that previous cohorts have collectively raised nearly ₹30 crore in funding and developed 18 Intellectual Properties (IPs).

The Telangana government and the German state of Thuringia have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen collaboration in sectors like skill development, industrial growth, innovation, technology, workforce development, startups, and life sciences.

The collaboration also includes the establishment of a German Language Training Hub in Hyderabad, which will be integrated with the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM) to enhance capacity building.

West Bengal has officially implemented the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), becoming the 36th State/UT to join the scheme.

This marks the completion of a 100% nationwide rollout of the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme across every state and UT in India. It is to be noted that the central government has allocated ₹3,505 crore to West Bengal under the National Health Mission (NHM) for FY27.

Day - May 31

Theme 2026 - Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction

Observed by - WHO

Observed since - 1988

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) has secured a 10-year marine services contract worth $70 million (₹666 crore) for the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export project in Argentina.

The contract was awarded through competitive bidding to a consortium of Adani Harbour International FZCO and the Argentina-based Meridian Group. The services will be executed by Meridian Transportes Marítimos SA, a joint venture formed with a 51:49 equity split between the partners.

The Asian Development Bank and Standard Chartered Bank have signed agreements to enhance supply chain finance in India. This collaboration establishes risk-sharing arrangements for transactions in both the United States Dollar (USD) and the Indian Rupee (INR).

Chandigarh University in Punjab has become the first private university in India to launch an ‘IndiaAI Data Lab’.

The lab has been established in partnership with Intel India to enhance students’ employability by providing industry-relevant skills in AI, Data Science, and emerging technologies.

The central government has expanded the QR code tagging initiative for Food Corporation of India foodgrain bags to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha.

The initiative covers a total volume of 20 lakh tonnes of rice moved from milling units to distribution hubs. The state-wise allocation includes 10 lakh tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, 5 lakh tonnes in Telangana, and 5 lakh tonnes in Odisha.

The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) came into force in June 2026, in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal.

Following the operationalisation, the first consignments availing preferential tariff benefits, including agricultural products, gems, and jewellery, were flagged off from Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.

The CEPA provides duty-free export access on 99.38% of tariff lines, covering 98.08% of India’s exports. Under the previous Most Favoured Nation (MFN) regime, only 15.33% of India’s exports entered Oman duty-free.

India and the UK have launched the India-UK Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) in New Delhi. The platform was jointly inaugurated by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

The initiative is a result of a partnership between the IIT (Indian School of Mines) (IIT-ISM) Dhanbad, TEXMiN, and the University of Cambridge.

The Indian Army has successfully completed operational trials of the Divyastra Mk-1 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

The Divyastra Mk-1 is an advanced indigenous AI powered tactical loitering munition system developed by Hoverit. It is designed to strengthen Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities along the border regions of India.

India has won the 8th edition of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship title, defeating the defending champion Bangladesh by 3-1 in the final. The tournament was held at the Fatorda Stadium (Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) in Goa and featured 6 participating nations.

Individual honours were awarded to Sanfida Nongrum (Most Valuable Player or MVP), Aveka Singh (top scorer with 4 goals), and Panthoi Chanu Elangbam (Best Goalkeeper). Nepal received the Fair Play Award. It is to be noted that this victory marks a record-extending 6th SAFF Women’s Championship title for India.

Lionel Messi, the captain of Inter Miami CF, has been conferred with the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2026. He becomes the first individual footballer to receive this honour.

The award recognises his sporting achievements, global influence, and philanthropic efforts in supporting education and healthcare for disadvantaged children.

The Nagaland government has imposed a 1-year statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of all food products containing tobacco or nicotine.

Microsoft has unveiled “Majorana 2”, its second-generation topological quantum computing chip developed using its agentic AI platform, “Microsoft Discovery”.

The prototype features 12 topological qubits as a model for scalable systems, with the company aiming to develop commercially viable quantum systems by 2029. Additionally, Microsoft has introduced “Scout”, an AI-powered Microsoft 365 assistant designed to autonomously manage schedules, emails, and meetings.

The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoH&UA), has completed 6 years.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Tripura CM Manik Saha interacted with beneficiaries from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. During the event, credit cards and loan sanction letters were distributed to street vendors in Tripura.

It is to be noted that over the last 6 years, the scheme has facilitated 1.12 crore loans, with over 1.05 crore collateral-free loans sanctioned across the country, amounting to a total value exceeding ₹17,800 crore.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Prashant Sitaram Lokhande as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He succeeds Rahul Singh.