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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Wednesday, 24 June 2026
37 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay launches one-gram gold ring scheme for newborns in government hospitals
— Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced that babies born in Tamil Nadu government hospitals will receive a one-gram gold ring; the initiative will be inaugurated on September 15 (C.N. Annadurai's birth anniversary). (State welfare scheme; GS Paper II — Government schemes) - Tiruvallur ammonia gas leak death toll rises to nine
— The industrial accident has left 69 persons under treatment in various hospitals across the region; investigation into the industrial safety lapse is ongoing. (Disaster management; GS Paper III — Industrial safety) - CM Vijay clarifies TVK government's stand: political opposition, administrative cooperation with Centre
— Vijay reaffirmed his party remains ideologically opposed to the ruling party at the Centre but will not oppose it blindly on administrative matters. (Centre-State relations; GS Paper II) - Tamil Nadu to continue two-language policy; no change to DMK-era language stance
— The TVK government confirmed it will follow the long-held state policy of Tamil and English, rejecting Hindi imposition; decision on PM Shri scheme pending. (Language policy; GS Paper II) - Tamil Nadu to move KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— The state government announced a shift for eligible Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam beneficiaries aged over 60 to the pension scheme with an enhanced monthly amount. (State social security; GS Paper II) - Madras High Court's five-judge Larger Bench: no bar for granting leave to convicts with pending appeals
— The Bench passed an interim order pending final determination by the Supreme Court, clarifying the legal position on bail/leave for convicted prisoners during appeal. (Judiciary; Article 226; GS Paper II)
India — National
- Centre flags 111 districts across 12 states as primary concern under El Niño watch
— The government assessed 315 districts as vulnerable to poor rainfall; 111 districts with weak irrigation infrastructure are of highest priority for agricultural support. (Agriculture, disaster preparedness; GS Paper I & III) - Rainfall deficit 43% so far; kharif crops likely to be hit
— Government data shows the monsoon shortfall is severe, threatening sowing of major kharif crops and raising food security concerns. (Agriculture; GS Paper III) - Indian Navy warships INS Udaygiri and INS Kavaratti visit Vietnam for maritime cooperation
— The stealth frigate and anti-submarine warfare corvette from the Eastern Fleet, led by Rear Admiral Alok Ananda, are on a goodwill visit to strengthen bilateral naval ties. (Defence diplomacy; India-Vietnam relations; GS Paper II) - Ayodhya Ram temple donation case: SIT submits preliminary report to UP government
— The SIT, constituted on June 13 on the temple trust's request, has submitted initial findings on alleged misappropriation of donations. (Governance, accountability; GS Paper II) - Security for Amarnath Yatra 2026 goes high-tech with tamper-proof IDs and real-time traffic monitoring
— Enhanced security measures have been deployed along the Yatra route amid ongoing security concerns in J&K. (Internal security; GS Paper III) - Bhabanipur poll case: HC judge discloses brother's BJP role; orders EVMs and CCTV footage preserved
— Justice Kant directed that CCTV footage, EVMs, and VVPATs not be erased or tampered with, ensuring election integrity in the disputed poll case. (Electoral integrity; Election Commission; GS Paper II) - NAFED to share 1% profit for education of farmers' children: Amit Shah
— Union Home Minister announced the cooperative's new social responsibility initiative for agrarian community welfare. (Cooperative sector; GS Paper II — Government schemes)
Economy & Finance
- RBI: Rate cut transmission moderated in May 2026
— Between February 2025 and April 2026, the RBI reduced repo rate by 85 basis points (cumulative); transmission to lending rates remained partial as of May 2026. (Monetary policy; RBI; GS Paper III) - India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement talks begin: Piyush Goyal meets USTR Jamieson Greer
— Discussions aim to finalise the BTA framework, addressing recent US tariff changes and exploring mutual sectoral benefits. (International trade; GS Paper II & III) - India's current account surplus narrows to $7.1 billion in Q4 amid rising gold imports and FII outflows
— Higher gold import bills and foreign investor exits squeezed the surplus, signalling external sector pressure. (Balance of payments; GS Paper III) - IIP growth rises to 4.9% in April (new series) from 3.2% in March
— Industrial production picked up in April under the revised Index of Industrial Production methodology. (Economic indicators; GS Paper III) - Government asks oil companies to build 30-day LPG reserves amid Hormuz supply risks
— The Centre directed petroleum firms to create strategic LPG buffers as West Asia tensions threaten Strait of Hormuz oil flows. (Energy security; GS Paper III)
Science & Technology
- Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS found to be older than the solar system
— Carbon isotope ratio analysis revealed that 3I/ATLAS originated from an ancient interstellar gas cloud predating the formation of our solar system. (Space science; GS Paper III) - François Englert, co-discoverer of the Higgs boson mechanism, passes away at 93
— Englert, who shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics with Peter Higgs for explaining how subatomic particles acquire mass, has died. (Science personalities; GS Paper III) - BRICS heads of space agencies meet held in Bengaluru on June 23–24
— Senior representatives of all 11 BRICS member nations' space agencies convened in India for multilateral space cooperation discussions. (Space diplomacy; ISRO; GS Paper II & III) - Petroleum Ministry refutes claims about ethanol-blended fuel absorbing water
— The ministry clarified that misinformation about sugarcane juice mixing with petrol is "misleading and unsubstantiated"; modern vehicles have design safeguards. (Ethanol blending programme; GS Paper III)
Environment
- CSE-DTE release 'State of India's Environment (SOE) in Figures 2026'
— The report highlights rising climate risks, increasing human-wildlife conflicts, and gaps in pollution monitoring infrastructure across India. (Environment reporting; GS Paper III) - Centre likely to remove 11% import duty on cotton as prices soar amid West Asia crisis
— Supply chain disruptions from the West Asia conflict have pushed cotton prices up, prompting the government to consider a duty waiver to support textile industry. (Trade policy, environment-economy nexus; GS Paper III) - Global oil flows gradually increasing after interim West Asia peace deal; risk premiums remain elevated
— S&P analysts noted insurance costs and vessel transits are slowly recovering, though uncertainty persists in energy markets. (Energy security; GS Paper III)
Sports
- Cristiano Ronaldo scores in sixth FIFA World Cup edition as Portugal routs Uzbekistan 5–0
— The 41-year-old becomes the first man to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments; Portugal eased Group stage pressure with the dominant win. (FIFA World Cup 2026; GS — Sports) - England held to 0–0 draw with Ghana at FIFA World Cup 2026
— Both teams remain on four points from two games; the goalless result was notable as neither side managed a first-half shot on target. (FIFA World Cup 2026) - Luka Modrić makes 200th international appearance in Croatia vs Panama Group L match
— The AC Milan midfielder and Croatia captain reached the historic caps milestone at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Sports milestone) - FIFA World Cup 2026 attendance: 2.85 million across 44 matches, stadiums 99.6% full
— The tournament has defied pre-event concerns about American soccer interest, recording near-full capacity attendance figures. (FIFA World Cup; Sports administration)
Appointments & Awards
- Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde sworn in as Governor of Rajasthan
— Bagde took oath at Raj Bhawan, becoming the new constitutional head of Rajasthan state. (Governor appointments; Article 155; GS Paper II) - Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia sworn in as Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court
— The appointment strengthens the judicial leadership of the HP High Court. (Judiciary; GS Paper II)
International
- Wang Yi calls on India and China to accelerate resumption of stalled dialogue mechanisms
— China's Foreign Minister, in talks with NSA Ajit Doval, described India as "an important neighbour" and pushed for restoring bilateral institutional dialogue. (India-China relations; GS Paper II) - Iran agrees to highest-level nuclear inspections per Trump; Tehran denies US-dictated terms
— US President Trump claimed a deal; Iran's Foreign Ministry said any inspection terms would be on their own conditions, highlighting ongoing geopolitical uncertainty around the nuclear issue. (India's energy security; nuclear diplomacy; GS Paper II) - UN inquiry: Israel targeted Gaza children, constituting genocide; ~30% of those killed were children
— A UN commission of inquiry released a report finding systematic targeting of children in the Gaza conflict. (International humanitarian law; GS Paper II)
- Quick Revision:
- One-gram gold ring for newborns in Tamil Nadu government hospitals — to be launched by CM C. Joseph Vijay on September 15 (C.N. Annadurai's birth anniversary)
- Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first man to score in six FIFA World Cup editions (Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5–0, World Cup 2026)
- INS Udaygiri (stealth frigate) and INS Kavaratti (ASW corvette), Eastern Fleet under Rear Admiral Alok Ananda, deployed to Vietnam for maritime cooperation