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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Friday, 26 June 2026
35 items
Tamil Nadu
- DVAC books former DMK Minister E.V. Velu in corruption case
— The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed an FIR alleging huge payments were made to highway contractors under the previous DMK government despite no road work being executed; raids launched across Tamil Nadu. (Anti-corruption, state governance) - CM Vijay adopts modified stance on National Education Policy
— The TVK government has signalled it will follow a cautious approach on NEP, taking cues from the previous DMK administration's resistance while maintaining the state's two-language policy. (Education policy, Centre-State relations) - Tamil Nadu to shift KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— The Vijay government announced restructuring of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam so that women beneficiaries aged 60+ are moved to the existing pension scheme with enhanced assistance. (Social welfare scheme) - Smart traffic system to launch in Chennai by August
— Chennai will get 50 red-light violation detection cameras, 10 speed-violation systems, and 58 traffic incident detection systems under the new smart traffic initiative. (Urban infrastructure, smart city) - Madras HC refuses to interfere with ex-Minister Geetha Jeevan's acquittal
— Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan dismissed a third-party petition seeking to condone an 839-day delay in filing a revision against the acquittal in a disproportionate assets case. (Judiciary, anti-corruption) - BJP criticises CM Vijay for not meeting families of ammonia leak victims
— The opposition party accused the Chief Minister of insensitivity in failing to visit families affected by the industrial ammonia leak incident. (Industrial safety, state politics)
India — National
- 50th anniversary of Emergency: BJP holds Samvidhan Hatya Diwas
— BJP national president J.P. Nadda, speaking in Patna, demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi on the 51st anniversary of the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi on 25 June 1975. (Constitutional history, Polity GS Paper II) - Passport application fees revised upward from July 1, 2026
— Fresh/reissued 36-page passport: ₹2,500 (regular), ₹5,000 (tatkal); 60-page passport: ₹3,500 (regular), ₹6,000 (tatkal) — first major revision in years. (Government services, MEA) - Health Ministry expands QR code-based drug traceability system
— Amended Drugs Rules bring vaccines, anti-cancer drugs, antimicrobials, and NDPS medicines under Schedule H2; phased implementation from July 2027. (Health policy, Pharma regulation) - CBI conducts searches at 80+ locations in Digital Arrest scam crackdown
— Searches targeted shell companies and mule bank accounts used to launder approximately ₹2 crore in suspected proceeds from digital arrest fraud operations. (CBI, cybercrime, law enforcement) - FIR alleges assault on J&K police by 40 Army personnel
— Police allege Army men forcibly entered a police station in J&K; Army has promised full cooperation with the probe, raising civil-military coordination concerns. (Internal security, J&K) - Mahesh Dixit, J&K veteran officer, to be next Director of Intelligence Bureau
— The appointment of a J&K cadre officer as IB chief signals continued intelligence focus on internal security. (Key appointment, internal security) - PM Modi to be Guest of Honour at Seychelles' 50th National Day
— India's Prime Minister will attend Seychelles' golden jubilee celebrations, reinforcing bilateral ties in the Indian Ocean Region. (Foreign policy, SAGAR doctrine)
Economy & Finance
- India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to be implemented from July 15
— Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal travels to UK to review readiness for rollout of the landmark trade deal along with the Double Contribution Convention (DCC). (International trade, bilateral agreements) - RBI Monthly Bulletin warns monsoon shortfall could weigh on growth and inflation
— The central bank's bulletin flagged that any below-normal monsoon will pressure food prices and GDP growth outlook for FY2026-27. (RBI, monetary policy, agriculture) - India's current account surplus narrows to $7.1 billion in Q4
— The narrowing from previous quarters was attributed to a rising gold import bill and foreign investor outflows amid global uncertainty. (Balance of payments, external sector) - IIP industrial growth rises to 4.9% in April under new series
— April's Index of Industrial Production figure improved from 3.2% in March, signalling a modest pickup in manufacturing activity. (Economic indicators) - Centre likely to remove 11% import duty on cotton
— The move is under consideration as domestic cotton prices have soared, partly due to supply disruptions from the West Asia crisis affecting trade routes. (Trade policy, textile sector) - Government orders oil companies to build 30-day LPG reserves
— Amid risks to Strait of Hormuz supply routes, the Petroleum Ministry directed oil marketing companies to maintain strategic LPG buffers. (Energy security, petroleum sector)
Science & Technology
- New moth genus discovered in Kerala's Idukki — Antaram idukki
— The tiger moth species, known only from Idukki district, was identified by researchers highlighting the Western Ghats' still-undocumented biodiversity. (Biodiversity, Western Ghats, science) - MoU signed for semiconductor research
— A memorandum of understanding was signed to advance semiconductor research collaboration, supporting India's push for chip self-sufficiency under the India Semiconductor Mission. (Technology policy, electronics manufacturing) - Black market for 'fake patents' distorting Indian research rankings
— Researchers flagged firms selling UK design registrations to Indian academics to inflate institutional rankings; registrations often granted in as few as 11 days with no technical scrutiny. (Research integrity, higher education policy) - RBI launches digital scam compensation pilot
— New RBI rules will allow victims a one-time compensation when tricked or coerced into fraudulent digital payments, a first-of-its-kind consumer protection measure. (RBI, fintech regulation, consumer protection)
Environment
- New moth genus Antaram idukki found in Western Ghats underscores biodiversity conservation urgency
— The discovery from Idukki, Kerala reinforces calls to protect biodiversity-rich forest habitats in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot. (Environment, Western Ghats, conservation) - CSE-DTE release State of Environment in Figures 2026
— The Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth released their annual data compendium on India's environmental indicators timed around World Environment Day. (Environment report, policy) - Venezuela hit by back-to-back earthquakes killing 188; international aid mobilised
— The earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, and the death toll climbed to 188 with 971 injured — relevant to India's disaster diplomacy and NDRF cooperation. (Disaster management, international)
Sports
- FIFA World Cup 2026: Netherlands top Group F with 3-1 win over Tunisia
— The Dutch advanced as group winners, avoiding Brazil in the Round of 32; they will face a different knockout-stage opponent after Tunisia's elimination. (FIFA World Cup 2026, hosted in USA-Canada-Mexico) - FIFA World Cup 2026: Ecuador shock Germany to reach knockout stage
— Ecuador scored their first goal of the tournament on their 40th shot attempt, pulling off a major upset against Germany to advance to the Round of 32. (FIFA World Cup 2026) - FIFA World Cup 2026: Ivory Coast qualify for last 32 after Pepe scores twice against Curacao
— Veteran defender Pepe scored in the 7th and 64th minutes to give Ivory Coast six points and second place in Group E. (FIFA World Cup 2026) - Japan draw 1-1 with Sweden, finish second in Group F
— Japan will face five-time champions Brazil in the Round of 32 in Houston after finishing as group runners-up. (FIFA World Cup 2026)
Appointments & Awards
- Mahesh Dixit to be next Director of Intelligence Bureau
— The J&K veteran IPS officer's appointment as IB Director signals India's ongoing internal security priorities. (Key appointment, Home Ministry) - Padma Vibhushan for Justice K.T. Thomas
— The former Supreme Court judge known for his independent judgments, including on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts, has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan. (National awards, judiciary)
International
- India-Iran petroleum cooperation discussion resumes
— Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri met his Iranian counterpart to discuss cooperation opportunities; India had halted Iranian crude purchases in 2019 under US sanctions but partially resumed during West Asia crisis waivers. (India's foreign policy, energy security) - West Asia crisis: UN pauses Strait of Hormuz ship evacuation after vessel attacked
— The UN initiative to evacuate stranded vessels from the Hormuz region was suspended after an attack; US Secretary of State Rubio is in Bahrain for GCC talks on a potential Iran deal. (Geopolitics, India's energy imports) - North Korea tests upgraded multiple rocket launchers and tactical ballistic missiles
— Kim Jong-un oversaw tests of a 240mm 24-tube multiple rocket launcher system and 155mm self-propelled howitzer, escalating regional tensions. (International security, India-Korea ties)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 Passport fee hike from July 1: Fresh 36-page passport — ₹2,500 (regular), ₹5,000 (tatkal); 60-page — ₹3,500 (regular), ₹6,000 (tatkal)
- 🔑 India-UK CETA implementation date: July 15, 2026 — accompanied by Double Contribution Convention (DCC)
- 🔑 *New moth genus Antaram idukki*** discovered in Idukki, Kerala — first new tiger moth genus from the Western Ghats in recent years