All daily digests
Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Tuesday, 16 June 2026
34 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay Signs 3 Key Welfare Schemes
— Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay signed three welfare schemes on Day 1 of assuming office, signalling early policy priorities of the TVK government (Relevance: State governance, welfare policy). - Farm Loan Waiver & Extended Movie Screenings Announced
— CM Vijay announced a farm loan waiver for Tamil Nadu farmers and permitted extended late-night screenings of films, two major election promises being implemented (Relevance: Agricultural policy, TNPSC GS Paper II). - KMUT Beneficiaries Above 60 to Be Moved to Pension Scheme; Aid Hiked to ₹1,500
— The state government announced transition of eligible Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam beneficiaries aged above 60 to the pension scheme, with monthly aid raised to ₹1,500 (Relevance: State welfare schemes, women's welfare). - CM Vijay Announces 2% Dearness Allowance Hike
— State government employees and teachers will receive a 2% increase in Dearness Allowance, benefiting the government workforce (Relevance: State finance, public employment). - Note — Stalin-Era Announcement:
Headlines referencing CM Stalin launching a Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme relate to the previous DMK government (2021–2026); the current TVK government under CM Vijay is reviewing and continuing/modifying such schemes. - VAIKO Urges CM Vijay to Reject PM SHRI 3-Language Scheme
— MDMK chief Vaiko wrote to CM Vijay urging him not to accept the Centre's PM SHRI scheme, citing Hindi imposition concerns (Relevance: Centre–State relations, language policy, education). - Disqualification Proceedings Against Four Former MLAs to Continue — Madras HC
— The Advocate-General assured the Madras High Court that disqualification proceedings against four former MLAs would be taken to their logical end; the court was also urged to prevent by-elections in the four vacated constituencies (Relevance: Anti-defection law, Tenth Schedule).
India — National
- NCERT to Restore Original 'Dancing Girl' Image in School Textbook
— After widespread criticism, NCERT agreed to restore the original bare-torso image of the iconic Mohenjo-daro bronze figurine in the Class 9 arts textbook, where it had been covered in the latest edition (Relevance: Culture, Indus Valley Civilisation, education policy). - NEET 2026 Security Measures Reviewed; CRPF and CISF Deployed
— CRPF and CISF personnel with clean service records have been deployed to escort NEET exam papers to centres, with special focus on exam integrity (Relevance: Education policy, NTA, national examinations). - SIT Begins Probe into Ram Mandir Donations Issue
— A three-member State SIT constituted at the request of the Shree Ram Teerth Kshetra Trust commenced investigation into alleged irregularities in Ram Mandir donations and reached the temple complex (Relevance: Constitutional institutions, SIT powers). - Trinamool Rebels' Merger with NCPI May Allow Them to Vote in Lok Sabha
— Rebel Trinamool MPs who merged with the NCPI may be able to vote in Parliament before any disqualification ruling, becoming significant ahead of the likely introduction of the Delimitation Bill in the monsoon session (Relevance: Anti-defection law, Tenth Schedule, Parliament procedure). - Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar Writes to Speaker Seeking Kalyan Banerjee's Expulsion
— Rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking expulsion of MP Kalyan Banerjee over alleged verbal abuse and misogynistic conduct during House proceedings (Relevance: Parliamentary privileges, Speaker's powers). - Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha Nomination Rejected — Congress Fault Lines Exposed
— The rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination has highlighted internal fissures within the Indian National Congress (Relevance: Parliament, Rajya Sabha nominations, political parties). - India–Slovakia Elevate Bilateral Ties to 'Comprehensive Partnership'
— India and Slovakia upgraded their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership level, deepening diplomatic and economic engagement (Relevance: India's foreign policy, bilateral relations).
Economy & Finance
- Goods Exports Hit Record High of $45.2 Billion in May 2026
— India's merchandise exports reached an all-time high of $45.2 billion in May 2026, with broad-based growth across petroleum and non-petroleum sectors, though the trade deficit widened due to higher import growth (Relevance: External trade, current affairs GS Paper III). - Wholesale Inflation Jumps to 9.7% in May 2026; New WPI Series with Base Year 2022–23 Released
— The government released a new WPI series with updated base year 2022–23; wholesale inflation rose sharply to 9.7% on surging fuel prices (Relevance: Inflation indices, economic data, DPIIT). - Government to Replace WPI with Producer Price Index (PPI)
— The Ministry announced that the PPI, being published on an experimental basis from June 15, will replace WPI within five years, in line with IMF recommendations and global best practices (Relevance: Economic indicators, statistical reform). - India's Current Account Surplus Narrows to $7.1 Billion in Q4
— The current account surplus narrowed in Q4 FY26 amid a rising gold import bill and foreign investor outflows (Relevance: Balance of payments, RBI, macroeconomics). - New IIP Series: April Industrial Growth Rises to 4.9%
— Under the new Index of Industrial Production series, April industrial output growth stood at 4.9%, up from 3.2% in March (Relevance: Industrial output, economic growth indicators). - Government Asks Oil Companies to Build 30-Day LPG Reserves
— Amid supply risks from the Strait of Hormuz disruption due to the West Asia conflict, the Centre directed oil companies to stockpile 30 days of LPG reserves (Relevance: Energy security, West Asia impact on India).
Science & Technology
- ISRO to Attempt Another PSLV Launch by June-End or Early July
— After two failed bids, ISRO is preparing for another PSLV rocket launch by end of June or early July 2026 (Relevance: ISRO, space technology, national science). - NASA Announces Artemis III Crew Including Italian Astronaut
— NASA named the crew for Artemis III, which will include U.S. astronauts and an Italian astronaut; the mission — using SpaceX and Blue Origin spacecraft — is scheduled to launch late next year and will test spacecraft dockings in Earth orbit (Relevance: Space exploration, international space cooperation). - Heatwaves and Ozone Together Increase India's Cardiac Deaths — Study
— A peer-reviewed study found surface ozone reaches 85–110 μg/m³ in northern India during heatwaves, exceeding WHO's 70 μg/m³ guideline in every region; approximately 830 cardiac deaths in 2024 were linked to the combined effect (Relevance: Public health, environment-health interface). - DengiAll Dengue Vaccine Safety Concerns Raised After Brazil Deaths
— Brazilian authorities reported 42 severe adverse events out of 5 lakh vaccinated (0.008%); the development raises concerns about India's dengue vaccine rollout plans (Relevance: Public health, vaccine policy).
Environment
- Budget 2026–27: Air Quality Management Outlay Cut by 10%; Pollution Control Also Sees Dip
— The Union Budget 2026–27 reduced allocation for air quality management by 10% and also trimmed pollution control budgets, raising concerns among environmentalists (Relevance: Environment policy, Union Budget, CAQM). - State of India's Environment 2026 Report Highlights Rising Climate Risks and Wildlife Conflicts
— The report flags increasing climate risks, human–wildlife conflicts, and gaps in pollution monitoring across India (Relevance: Environment GS Paper III, biodiversity, climate change).
Sports
- FIFA World Cup 2026: Uruguay Held 1–1 by Saudi Arabia
— Uruguay and Saudi Arabia played out a 1–1 draw in their Group H opener; Spain were also held goalless by debutants Cape Verde in the same group (Relevance: FIFA World Cup 2026, hosted by USA/Canada/Mexico). - FIFA World Cup 2026: Belgium Escape Egypt Upset with 1–1 Draw
— Belgium were held to a 1–1 draw by Egypt, with the equaliser coming via an own goal; Egypt have never won a FIFA World Cup match (Relevance: FIFA World Cup 2026 results). - FIFA World Cup 2026: Iran vs New Zealand — Elijah Just Scores Against Run of Play
— New Zealand's Elijah Just scored against the run of play in Iran's World Cup match; the Iranian squad arrived in California amid heightened security due to the West Asia conflict (Relevance: FIFA World Cup 2026, current affairs).
Appointments & Awards
- Padma Vibhushan Announced for Justice K.T. Thomas
— Former Supreme Court Judge K.T. Thomas, known for his landmark judgments, was announced for the Padma Vibhushan award (Relevance: Padma Awards, judiciary). - Padma Bhushan Awarded Posthumously to Former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren
— Shibu Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and JMM founder, was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan (Relevance: Padma Awards, tribal leaders, Jharkhand).
International
- U.S.–Iran Peace Deal Signed; Trump Attends G7 Summit
— A memorandum of understanding to end hostilities between the U.S. and Iran was announced; Trump attended the G7 summit riding on the momentum of the deal, with remaining details to be negotiated over 60 days (Relevance: Geopolitics, India's energy security, West Asia). - Bangladesh PM's Adviser Turned Away at Delhi Airport
— Bangladesh PM's adviser Rahman was held for over two hours at Delhi's immigration before deciding to return, raising diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh (Relevance: India–Bangladesh relations, foreign policy). - Russia Launches Massive Barrage on Ukraine — 11 Killed
— Russia fired 70 missiles and 611 drones at Ukraine, primarily targeting Kyiv; Ukraine's air defence downed 50 missiles and 582 drones, but 11 people were killed and a sacred landmark damaged (Relevance: Russia–Ukraine conflict, global security).
- Quick Revision:
- 🔹 India's goods exports hit a record high of $45.2 billion in May 2026; wholesale inflation rose to 9.7% under new WPI series (base year 2022–23); government plans to replace WPI with Producer Price Index (PPI) within 5 years.
- 🔹 ISRO is preparing another PSLV launch by end of June/early July 2026 after two failed attempts; NASA's Artemis III crew announced for a late-2027 Moon mission using SpaceX and Blue Origin craft.
- 🔹 Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay signed 3 welfare schemes including a farm loan waiver and announced a 2% DA hike for state employees; KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to be moved to pension scheme with aid raised to ₹1,500/month.