Current affairs — 21 June 2026

Prelims pointers

• Kerala reported 13 additional shigellosis cases on Saturday, including four in Kozhikode.
• The State's shigellosis tally for June rose to 133 cases, with five deaths linked to the disease this month.
• For the year, Kerala had reported 209 shigellosis cases and six deaths as per the article.
• Kozhikode and Wayanad continued to account for the highest number of June cases in Kerala.
• Shigellosis is described as a highly contagious bacterial infection that primarily affects the intestines.

Prelims pointers

• The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana event was organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• One Chennai venue was the Indian Bank Management Academy for Growth and Excellence at MRC Nagar.
• At IMAGE, 750 participants attended, including 450 beneficiaries and 122 employers.
• Officials of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's Chennai South Regional Office participated in the programme.
• The article states that 60 employment letters were distributed at IMAGE and 10 at CICT.

Prelims pointers

• The IMF gave India a 'C' grade, the second-lowest grade, for the quality of its national accounts statistics last November.
• National accounts and the Index of Industrial Production shifted from a 2011-12 base year to 2022-23.
• The CPI base year was updated to 2024 and linked to the 2023-24 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey.
• The revised IIP item basket has 1,042 products mapped to 463 item groups, up from 839 items mapped to 407 groups.
• The Producer Price Index will replace the Wholesale Price Index entirely in five years, according to the article.

Prelims pointers

• The U.S.-Iran MoU was agreed on June 15 after 40 days of war and more than 60 days of negotiations.
• The MoU calls for a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, and respect for sovereignty.
• Iran is to remove impediments in the Strait of Hormuz, including mines, within 30 days of signing.
• Both sides agreed to downblend Iran's enriched material under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.
• The article identifies Lebanon, highly enriched uranium and Iran's enrichment right as key sticking points.

Prelims pointers

• The article was published ahead of the International Day of Yoga observed on June 21, 2026.
• Rima Dada is identified as media in-charge and Professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
• The article lists hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease among age-linked lifestyle concerns.
• Yoga postures are stated to improve flexibility, balance and neuromuscular coordination.
• Breathing practices are stated to improve lung capacity and oxygen utilisation.

Prelims pointers

• Jan Sahas' parametric heat-insurance product enrolled 3,925 informal workers across Delhi-NCR this year.
• The Jan Sahas scheme covers workers in Noida, Delhi, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
• Parametric insurance pays automatically when a preset weather trigger is crossed, without premiums or claims from workers.
• Last year, 722 of roughly 6,000 enrolled workers in Noida received ₹1,000 when the trigger was activated.
• SEWA's heat-insurance programme grew from 21,000 women in Gujarat in 2023 to about 2.25 lakh women across seven States by 2025.

Prelims pointers

• Punjab and Haryana burn more than 20 million tonnes of paddy straw in open fields every year.
• Biochar is made by heating agricultural waste in low-oxygen conditions.
• Studies indicate biochar can improve crop productivity by 10% to 30% and water-holding capacity by 10% to 25%.
• Under the VM0042 methodology, each tonne of certified biochar can generate 2-2.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent carbon credits.
• India generates around 62 million tonnes of municipal solid garbage per year, and more than 50% of it is biodegradable.

Prelims pointers

• France partially banned alcohol consumption in response to a new heatwave alert across Europe.
• The restriction was described as a public health measure to reduce heat-related illnesses.
• Alcohol increases urine production and therefore raises the risk of dehydration.
• Alcohol impairs temperature regulation by dilating blood vessels in the skin and suppressing vasopressin.
• The 2003 heatwave in Europe killed nearly 15,000 people in France alone.

Prelims pointers

• The government said India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy.
• India's economy size was stated as $4.18 trillion in the article.
• The government said India is poised to overtake Germany and become the third-largest economy by 2030.
• The article describes India as the world's fastest-growing major economy.
• India's real GDP grew 8.2% in Q2 of 2025-26, up from 7.8% in Q1 and 7.4% in the previous Q4.

Prelims pointers

• MoSPI data released on June 5, 2026 estimated India's GDP growth at 7.7% for 2025-26.
• India's GDP grew 7.8% in the fourth quarter of 2025-26, according to the provisional estimates.
• The government updated the GDP base year to 2022-23 and improved the methodology earlier in 2026.
• Manufacturing growth was estimated at 10.7% in 2025-26, compared with 9.3% in 2024-25 first revised estimates.
• Private final consumption expenditure growth rose to 7.7% in 2025-26 from 5.8% in the previous year.

Prelims pointers

• The Standing Committee on Finance selected 'Evolving Economic Conditions in the Country' as an additional subject for 2025-26.
• India's GDP growth is estimated at 7.7% in 2025-26, with 7.8% growth in the January-March quarter.
• India's GDP had grown at 7.1% in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
• The RBI estimates GDP growth to slow to 6.6% in the current fiscal year.
• The committee is likely to seek inputs from the Finance Ministry, RBI, economists and other stakeholders.

Prelims pointers

• India imported 2.66 million bpd of Russian crude in June through June 19, compared with 1.91 million bpd in May.
• UAE crude imports stood at 6,36,000 bpd in June through June 19, close to the May record of 6,44,000 bpd.
• Venezuela became India's fourth-largest crude supplier with shipments of 2,09,000 bpd, behind Saudi Arabia's 384,000 bpd.
• The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20% of global oil consumption and is a principal export route for Gulf producers.
• India imports about 88% of its crude oil needs, nearly half of natural gas needs and around 65% of LPG consumption.

Prelims pointers

• Coffea x libex, called Libex, is identified as a hybrid involving Liberica and Excelsa coffee.
• Arabica and Robusta together account for more than 99.99% of global coffee production, according to the source.
• The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, research was recently published in Scientific Reports.
• The team analysed 113 individual plant samples and confirmed that Excelsa and Liberica had hybridised in cultivation.
• Material from Malleshwara Estate near Ballupet in Hassan district was confirmed by Kew as an Excelsa-Liberica hybrid.

Prelims pointers

• India and the EU signed a document on January 27, 2026 marking the conclusion of negotiations on the FTA.
• Darpan Jain is identified as India's chief negotiator on the India-EU free trade agreement.
• Leather goods, footwear, textiles, apparel and clothing will see duties entirely removed when the FTA comes into force.
• The FTA reduces electronics tariffs of up to 14% and opens 99.6% of India-EU electronics trade.
• Duties will be eliminated immediately on 94.4% of marine exports to the EU, down from a current rate of up to 26%.

Prelims pointers

• India has identified a list of 30 critical minerals and eased mineral exploration for junior miners.
• The National Critical Mineral Mission was launched in January 2025 with a budgetary outlay of ₹16,300 crore.
• China controls up to 90% of global mineral processing capacity for several critical minerals, according to the article.
• CEEW analysis says Indian industries produce high-purity copper, graphite, rare earth oxides, tin and titanium, often above 99.9% purity.
• The National Critical Mineral Mission targets 1,200 exploration projects by FY2031.

Prelims pointers

• The study's findings were published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
• More than 140 participants answered an early-life adversity questionnaire and submitted a blood sample.
• A stress test of live cells found cumulative early-life adversity was associated with increased respiratory capacity.
• Threat adversity was associated with lower production of cell energy while preparing for future stressors.
• Deprivation was associated with increased inefficient energy production, which researchers linked to possible cellular dysfunction.

Prelims pointers

• U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to visit India on June 23-24 to meet Commerce Ministry officials and Piyush Goyal.
• Assistant USTR Brendan Lynch visited New Delhi from June 1 to 4 before the planned Greer visit.
• A February joint statement said India and the U.S. had agreed on a framework for an interim trade deal.
• The framework expected an 18% U.S. tariff on imports from India, giving New Delhi an advantage over many competitors.
• USTR's Section 301 investigation under the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 proposed a 12.5% tariff on 54 countries, including India.

Prelims pointers

• Spain, Ireland and Norway were named as European nations that formally recognised the state of Palestine.
• The article described the recognitions as a significant diplomatic shift in Europe.
• The move created a ripple effect, prompting major powers such as France to clarify their positions.
• Emmanuel Macron said he was ‘totally ready to recognise a Palestinian state’.
• Macron stressed that recognition ‘must come at a useful moment’, according to the report.

Prelims pointers

• Sirisay-Thampong village in Sikkim's Namchi district achieved 100% native orchid coverage on June 21, 2026.
• The conservation drive covered all 75 households of Sirisay-Thampong village.
• The drive planted 630 orchid seedlings representing 29 species and 11 genera.
• Dendrobium nobile, one of the planted species, is Sikkim's State Flower.
• Sikkim is home to 532 orchid species, making it one of India's richest orchid regions.

Prelims pointers

• Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
• Sergey Aksyonov said overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others.
• Fuel sales were limited to government agencies responsible for Crimea’s functioning and security.
• Ukraine had repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea, creating the worst energy crisis there since 2014.
• Zelenskyy described attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as Ukraine’s ‘long-range sanctions’.

Prelims pointers

• David Miliband said Ukraine’s stronger battlefield position had not relieved its humanitarian crisis.
• The IRC’s Ukraine budget was estimated at $20 million in 2027, down from $40 million last year.
• The U.N. calculated roughly 118 million displaced people globally, often due to conflict, violence and persecution.
• Ukraine accounted for around 10 million displaced people, including nearly four million internally displaced persons.
• The IRC provides mobile medical help near the frontline and trauma support to vulnerable children and women.

Prelims pointers

• Taiwan announced a five-day Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise beginning Monday, June 22.
• The Defence Ministry said the drill was part of annual joint-operations training for the armed forces.
• Taiwan is shifting training toward realistic exercises rather than setpiece events.
• The ministry said the exercise would use actual troops, terrain, equipment, real time and implementation.
• Taiwan reported 21 Chinese aircraft near the island on the same day, including J-16, KJ-500 and Y-20 aircraft.