Monthly current affairs for June 2026

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the first-ever commercial export of fresh mangoes from Jharkhand to the United Kingdom.

BharatPe has launched ‘BharatPe Flex’, a UPI solution, in partnership with YES Bank. This allows eligible customers to use a pre-approved credit line for daily UPI transactions.

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) has signed an MoU with the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure & Artificial Intelligence (DPI-AI) at Kathmandu University, Nepal.

The partnership aims to advance Language AI, multilingual digital public infrastructure, and inclusive digital ecosystems in both India and Nepal.

The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) has signed three MoUs to modernise Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) through digital innovation and structural enhancements.

Under the first agreement, the EdTech firm CoGrad will provide 499 EMRSs with two years of free access to its “Medha AI” platform. NESTS has also renewed its corporate philanthropy partnership with the Learning Links Foundation (Amazon) for another two years. Additionally, a governance MoU signed with the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission has standardised EMRS funding at ₹1.47 lakh per student.

According to the latest rankings of the World’s Top 10 Richest People, released by the Forbes, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, retains the top position with an estimated net worth of $835 billion.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the co-founders of Alphabet Inc. (the parent company of Google), hold the second and third positions. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, is ranked fourth, followed by Larry Ellison, the co-founder and Chairman of Oracle Corporation, in the fifth position.

The Department of Higher Education (DoHE) under the Ministry of Education (MoE) has launched the Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme 2026. The scheme aims to integrate accomplished Indian-origin researchers, scientists, technologists, and professionals from across the globe into the research and innovation ecosystem of India.

The scheme identifies 13 priority sectors categorized under three pillars: Lead Institutions, Host Institutions, and PMRC Fellows. The MoE has designated 7 premier institutions as Lead Institutions to facilitate the implementation of the scheme across various thematic areas.

The selection of participating institutions and fellows is monitored by an Empowered Committee chaired by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India.

Khalilur Rahman, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, has been elected as the President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He will serve a 1-year term, succeeding Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock.

The Indian Haj Mission has been honoured with two ‘Labbaytum Awards’ by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia.

The awards were conferred in the categories of Coordination and Communication, recognising the exemplary management of Haj operations and pilgrim services during Haj 2026. It is to be noted that this is the first instance of India receiving two Labbaytum Awards in a single Haj season.

Major Abhilasha Barak, an Indian Army officer, has been conferred the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. She served as the Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point within the Indian Battalion under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

She is the third Indian peacekeeper to receive this global award, after Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2023). It is to be noted that She is the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the history of the Indian Army.

The National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026 recognized 17 projects across India to promote excellence in digital governance. The awards comprised 10 Gold Awards, 6 Silver Awards, and 1 Jury Award.

The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), managed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, received a Gold Award under Category VII. The e-Jagriti Platform, operated by the Department of Consumer Affairs, secured a Silver Award under Category I.

Recognized projects include the ‘Agri Stack’ project by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the ‘Mahakumbh 2025 Initiative’ by the Prayagraj Mela Authority. Additionally, the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) received recognition for its ‘Blood Bag Traceability & Citizen Interaction Portal’, a citizen-centric health technology development.

Gold Award winners receive a trophy, a citation, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, while Silver Award winners are awarded a trophy, a certificate, and ₹5 lakh.

India has won 10 medals including 2 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze at the U17 Asian Wrestling Championships 2026 held in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The championship was organised by the United World Wrestling (UWW). In the Women’s Wrestling (WW) category, Diksha (43 kg) and Garima (73 kg) have won gold medals.

KP Dhanapalan, a senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament, passed away at the age of 76. He represented the Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency from 2009 to 2014.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers:

Day – May 29

Theme 2026 – “Invest in Peace”

Observed since – 2003

Commemorating – The 78th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping, which began in 1948 with the deployment of military observers to the Middle East under the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

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 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 Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, also known as Surha Tal, in Uttar Pradesh has been declared as the 100th Ramsar Site of India. PM Narendra Modi announced this milestone on World Environment Day (June 5).

With this designation, India ranks 3rd globally in the total number of Ramsar sites, trailing only the UK and Mexico, and holds the 1st position in Asia. This sanctuary marks the 13th Ramsar site in Uttar Pradesh, whereas Tamil Nadu currently holds the highest tally of Ramsar sites in India with 20 designated wetlands.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Swacch Application’ in Kolkata. The geo-tagged mobile app is designed to enhance cleanliness in municipal areas and bolster the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) through technology-enabled solutions.

The application facilitates citizen participation in urban governance by enabling users to report issues for municipal action. The initiative is currently being implemented across 10 municipalities in its initial phase.

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).

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.