Current affairs — 22 June 2026

Prelims pointers

• Kerala reports between four and five lakh cases of Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases every year, according to the article.
• In 2025, Kerala reported 31,536 Hepatitis A cases and 82 deaths, and by June 15 this year it had nearly 9,000 cases and 25 confirmed deaths.
• Amoebic meningoencephalitis is linked in the article to faecal contamination in domestic wells where free-living amoeba thrive.
• As of 2025, Kerala has less than 6% proper sewerage network coverage, with many cities lacking household sewage collection systems.
• The CAG's 2025 report said Kerala's AMRUT achievement was 11.25% and only 0.13% households received sewerage connections.

Prelims pointers

• The government told the Rajya Sabha in February 2026 that 6,998 Indians had been rescued from cyber scam centres since 2022.
• Of the rescued Indians, 2,533 were from Cambodia, 2,297 from Lao PDR and 2,168 from Myanmar.
• The APG Yearly Typologies Report 2025 says Southeast Asia has become a hub for online fraud operations generating tens of billions of dollars annually.
• The study on cyber scam hubs was started in early 2025 and was co-led by Indonesia and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
• The report says scam networks use mule accounts, hawala networks and cryptocurrencies to launder proceeds from cyber fraud.

Prelims pointers

• Solanum pandeyi is a new wild brinjal species discovered in evergreen forest of Middle Andaman.
• The species was recorded by Lal Ji Singh, head of BSI's Andaman and Nicobar regional centre.
• The Great Andamanese used Solanum pandeyi for food and medicinal purposes, including seeds and roots for tooth infection.
• Phylogenetic analysis of Solanum pandeyi was done by Shruti Kasana from the University of Delhi.
• The conservation status of Solanum pandeyi has been assessed as Data Deficient.

Prelims pointers

• More than 22.8 lakh candidates sat again for NEET-UG on June 21 after a paper leak led to nationwide cancellation of the earlier exam.
• The National Testing Agency was created in 2017 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• The article says NEET-UG is conducted nationwide in a single sitting with one paper for admissions across medical colleges.
• The NMC seat matrix for October 2025 listed roughly 1.26 lakh MBBS seats against more than 22 lakh candidates.
• The Public Examinations Act prescribes penalties for organised leak networks but creates no candidate compensation mechanism.

Prelims pointers

• HFSS refers to foods high in fat, sugar and sodium, and the article treats their advertising as a public-health concern.
• The article says a baked chips advertisement highlighted flavour and crunchiness but omitted high salt and fat content and refined carbohydrates.
• India's National Multisectoral Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Common Non-Communicable Diseases envisaged restrictions on HFSS advertising.
• In February 2026, the Supreme Court observed in a PIL that front-of-pack labelling is necessary to protect the right to health.
• The article cites international experience from Chile to Mexico to argue that enforceable legal measures work better than voluntary self-regulation.

Prelims pointers

• The U.S. team in Switzerland was led by Vice-President J.D. Vance and included Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
• Iran’s delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
• Pakistan and Qatar were identified as mediators in the Switzerland talks between the U.S. and Iran.
• Iran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
• Oil prices rose slightly, with U.S. crude near $78.70 per barrel and Brent near $81.70 per barrel on Sunday.

Prelims pointers

• Strain engineering uses mechanical pressure at the atomic level to alter a material’s properties.
• Terahertz-frequency vibrations are needed for advanced applications such as spintronics.
• The study used a superlattice of platinum and copper atoms arranged in alternating layers a few nanometres thick.
• Using ultrafast X-ray diffraction, researchers observed the atoms moving in real time after a laser pulse.
• The team produced coherent atomic vibrations at 1 THz with a strain amplitude of 1%, driven by electron pressure.

Prelims pointers

• Four Qatar-controlled LNG tankers were heading into the Strait of Hormuz on June 22, 2026.
• The tankers were Wadi Al Sail, Mekaines, Al Sadd and Mesaimeer.
• Kpler data showed five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, down from 26 ships a day earlier.
• The U.S. Central Command said 55 merchant ships transited the strait on June 20 with more than 17 million barrels of oil.
• ADNOC-controlled LNG tankers Al Hamra and Mubaraz were delivering cargoes to India at Ennore and Kochi.

Prelims pointers

• China imposed export controls on 10 U.S. companies involved in defence and rare earths mining.
• Washington had released a blacklist of 80 companies and subsidiaries it said were aiding the Chinese military.
• The U.S. blacklist added Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, according to the report.
• China’s listed entities included Aveox, Oshkosh Defence, MP Materials and USA Rare Earth.
• China’s Finance Ministry announced a public procurement ban covering products made by 46 U.S. firms.

Prelims pointers

• The RBI annual report said ₹500 notes account for 85.5% of the share of currency in circulation.
• BIS, in collaboration with RBI, introduced IS 18663:2024 for Note Sorting Machines.
• IS 18663:2024 lays down minimum functional performance and safety benchmarks for machines used to process, authenticate and sort cash.
• The BIS Central Laboratory in Sahibabad is the only authorised laboratory for performance testing of Note Sorting Machines recognised by RBI.
• BIS certification is mandatory for any Note Sorting Machine deployed by Indian banks from May 1, 2025.

Prelims pointers

• Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kevin Schneider arrived in Sri Lanka for a three-day visit ending June 24.
• Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs S. Paul Kapur also arrived in Colombo on June 21 for a three-day visit.
• The report said the visits came amid growing geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean region.
• Schneider’s discussions were to cover air and maritime domain awareness, cybersecurity, disaster response and regional security.
• Kapur was scheduled to discuss security cooperation, regional issues, bilateral trade and investment ties.

Prelims pointers

• Confirmed Ebola cases in eastern Congo reached 1,003, including 254 deaths.
• The outbreak was concentrated in Ituri Province and was declared on May 15.
• Congo’s Ministry of Health said 100 people had recovered and at least 365 patients were in hospitals or isolation.
• Contact tracing coverage was only 55%, according to the Ministry of Health.
• The UN refugee agency said at least 2 million forcibly displaced people live in areas at risk of Ebola in Congo.

Prelims pointers

• RBI said domestic demand continued to be the key driver of India’s growth.
• The central bank said the near-term outlook was somewhat clouded by supply-side pressures from the West Asia crisis.
• RBI said headline inflation was within the tolerance band, but pass-through to domestic prices needed monitoring.
• Rural automobile sales continued to grow at double digits in April, though with some sequential moderation.
• RBI said labour force participation and worker population ratio declined in January-March 2026 while the unemployment rate rose.

Prelims pointers

• India-KLEMS showed the number of workers rising from 56.6 crore in 2020-21 to 64.3 crore in 2023-24.
• The India-KLEMS project began as an academic exercise financed by the RBI in 2009, and the RBI has hosted the database from 2022.
• KLEMS stands for Capital, Labour, Energy, Material and Services.
• India-KLEMS uses PLFS worker-population ratios and multiplies them by population projections to estimate worker numbers.
• PLFS data showed the rural female worker-population ratio rising from 17.5% in 2017-18 to 30% in 2022-23.

Prelims pointers

• The Economic Survey 2025-26 said India had recorded significant employment growth in recent years.
• The Survey said the gig economy grew from 77 lakh workers in 2020-21 to 120 lakh workers in 2024-25.
• Gig workers were described as representing more than 2% of India’s total workforce.
• The Survey projected non-agricultural gigs to constitute 6.7% of the workforce by 2029-30.
• About 40% of gig workers report earnings below ₹15,000 per month, according to the Survey.

Prelims pointers

• Qatar and Pakistan said the U.S. and Iran agreed to a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days.
• Technical talks were scheduled to continue for the rest of the week at Buergenstock in Switzerland.
• The parties agreed to a mechanism to end the fighting in Lebanon, according to the mediators’ statement.
• A communications line was opened to help ensure safe passages for commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Kpler data showed five vessels passed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, down from 26 ships a day earlier.

Prelims pointers

• India’s eight core industrial sectors grew by 0.5% in May 2026, the second-lowest pace in 21 months.
• Five of the eight sectors in the Index of Eight Core Industries contracted in May 2026.
• Crude oil output contracted 4.6%, natural gas contracted 4.9%, and refinery products contracted 8.7% in May 2026.
• The coal sector contracted by 9.3%, its worst performance in 10 months.
• Steel, cement and electricity were the only core sectors that registered growth in May 2026.

Prelims pointers

• The Chillies Exporters Association India urged the Spices Board of India to intervene in export-sector challenges.
• The representation was submitted to Spices Board Secretary M.S. Manivannan at the Spices Park in Edlapadu, Palnadu district.
• Exporters cited pesticide residue-related rejections in China, aflatoxin and moisture issues in Sri Lanka, and blacklisting in Thailand.
• Three Indian companies suspended by China’s GACC account for 20-30% of India’s dry chilli exports to China.
• The association sought a dedicated Chilli Cell within the Spices Board for compliance guidance, market access support and GACC registration assistance.

Prelims pointers

• The Jonnagiri Gold Mine is located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The project is operated by Geomysore Services India Pvt. Ltd.
• Jonnagiri is described as India’s only operational private-sector primary gold mine.
• The mine covers 597.82 hectares in Tuggali mandal and began commercial operations in May 2026.
• Production is estimated at about 400 kg of gold in 2026-27 and projected to rise to nearly one tonne a year.

Prelims pointers

• Ammonia has the chemical formula NH3 and consists of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms.
• Ammonia poisoning can occur through inhalation, ingestion or direct contact with skin or eyes.
• In the Tiruvallur case, ammonia was being used as a refrigerant and a gas tank leaked.
• Ammonia reacts with water in human tissues to form ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive alkali.
• The article states there is no known cure for ammonia poisoning and treatment is supportive.

Prelims pointers

• The Supreme Court declined to entertain Arvind Malhotra’s petition challenging Collegium recommendations for Himachal Pradesh High Court judgeship.
• The Court said appointments to constitutional courts are based on the Collegium’s subjective assessment and allow only limited judicial review in exceptional circumstances.
• The Supreme Court Collegium headed by CJI Surya Kant recommended Chirag Bhanu Singh, Bhupesh Sharma and Yogesh Jaswal on 2 June.
• The Bench comprised Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi.
• The Court observed that seniority alone does not confer a right to be recommended for elevation.

Prelims pointers

• India is in talks with the UAE to sell defence systems including BrahMos and Akashteer.
• BrahMos is jointly developed by India and Russia and can be launched from land, sea and air platforms.
• Akashteer is a fully automated air defence system developed by Bharat Electronics Limited and the Indian Army.
• A BrahMos sale to the UAE would require Russia’s approval because the missile is jointly developed.
• SIPRI data cited in the article says the U.S. supplied 54% of West Asian arms imports during 2021-2025.

Prelims pointers

• DIBD and AISF signed an MoU to promote language technology, Generative AI solutions and governance in vernacular languages in Assam.
• DIBD functions under Digital India Corporation, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• AISF is a Section 8 company under the Department of Innovation, Incubation and Start-ups, Government of Assam.
• Under the MoU, DIBD and AISF will collaborate under the BHASHINI Rajyam initiative to facilitate multilingual access to AISF programmes, platforms and services.
• The source says BHASHINI powers over 800 government websites, processes more than 15 million inferences daily and supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 Indian voice languages and 35 international languages.

Prelims pointers

• The Department of Commerce collaborated with the Centre for WTO Studies and CRIT at IIFT for the two-day National Workshop or Chintan Shivir.
• The workshop was held at Nalanda Hall, IIFT Bhawan, New Delhi.
• Its theme was environment-related non-tariff measures, WTO rules and implications for Free Trade Agreements.
• The workshop aimed to assess the impact of environmental and climate-related trade measures on Indian exports and formulate responses through the WTO framework and FTAs.
• Deliberations were to cover WTO rules on Technical Barriers to Trade, sustainability-related NTMs, carbon- and deforestation-related measures and strategies for emerging trade concerns.

Prelims pointers

• Human skeletal remains excavated from Rakhigarhi in Haryana were handed over by ASI to AnSI for detailed scientific investigation.
• Rakhigarhi is described as spread across approximately 550 hectares and as the largest known settlement of the Indus-Saraswati Civilization.
• ASI's Excavation Branch-II, Greater Noida uncovered eight burials at Mound No. 7 during the 2025-26 field season.
• Three complete human skeletons and skeletal fragments from other burials were transferred to AnSI's ancient human skeletal repository and laboratory in Kolkata.
• Researchers expect to use ancient DNA analysis, stable isotope studies, osteological assessments, palaeopathological investigations and environmental reconstruction.

Prelims pointers

• The total reported area sown was 119.90 in 2026 against 117.95 in 2025, an increase of 1.95.
• Rice area sown was reported at 12.36 in 2026 compared with 8.09 in 2025, an increase of 4.26.
• Pulses area sown was 7.21 in 2026 compared with 6.39 in 2025, an increase of 0.83.
• Oilseeds area sown was 7.24 in 2026 compared with 8.11 in 2025, a decrease of 0.87.
• Cotton area sown was 17.13 in 2026 compared with 22.82 in 2025, a decrease of 5.69.

Prelims pointers

• Shri Amit Shah was to launch NAFED's auction portal NAFEX.in on 23 June 2026 at Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan, New Delhi.
• Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also to attend the programme.
• The programme included NAFED-KALYAN scholarships for children of farmers, the DRISHTI inventory management portal, an ERP portal and NAFEX.in.
• A live registration demonstration on the auction portal and launch of the auction process were planned during the programme.
• The release says NAFED supports farmers, agricultural marketing, procurement and cooperative-based agricultural trade.

Prelims pointers

• TRAI released the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for the quarter ending 31 March 2026.
• Internet subscribers increased from 1028.61 million at the end of December 2025 to 1092.79 million at the end of March 2026.
• Total telephone subscribers in India increased from 1306.14 million at the end of December 2025 to 1330.58 million at the end of March 2026.
• Overall tele-density increased from 91.74% in the quarter ending December 2025 to 93.26% in the quarter ending March 2026.
• Gross Revenue, Applicable Gross Revenue and Adjusted Gross Revenue for the telecom service sector in the quarter ending March 2026 were Rs 105118 crore, Rs 98638 crore and Rs 86716 crore respectively.

Prelims pointers

• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries increased by 0.5% provisionally in May 2026 compared with May 2025.
• The ICI covers coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity.
• The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production.
• Steel grew by 5.0%, cement by 8.4% and electricity by 8.7% in May 2026 over May 2025.
• Coal declined by 9.3%, crude oil by 4.6%, natural gas by 4.9%, refinery products by 8.7% and fertilizers by 0.9% in May 2026 over May 2025.

Prelims pointers

• DISHA 2.0 has been approved for five years from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031.
• The scheme has an approved financial outlay of ₹255 crore funded through 100% Gross Budgetary Support.
• DISHA 2.0 cites the Preamble and Articles 14, 21 and 39A of the Constitution and supports SDG-16.
• Tele-Law is to operate through 2,50,000 Common Service Centres covering 784 districts across 36 States and Union Territories.
• The new VIDHI-Sanjeevani component includes a centralised digital platform and the AI-powered multilingual Nyaya Setu chatbot.

Prelims pointers

• The Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) launched a special drive from 1 June 2026 to 31 August 2026 for disposal of long-pending labour cases.
• In the New Delhi Region, 178 claim cases involving DMRC were identified for focused hearing and disposal.
• The Regional Labour Commissioner (Central), New Delhi-cum-Authority under the Code on Wages, 2019 issued notices on 15 June 2026.
• The parties were asked to appear on 24 June 2026, with all 178 cases listed for hearing on a single day.
• The exercise introduced bucketing of similar cases and cluster-based hearings for efficient, structured and time-bound disposal.

Prelims pointers

• India recorded more than 5 lakh organ donation pledges.
• Dr Anil Kumar, Director of NOTTO, expressed gratitude to citizens for supporting organ donation.
• The Government of India aims to bridge the gap between demand and availability of organs and tissues through awareness, institutional capacity and strengthened transplantation systems.
• The organ donation movement received renewed impetus from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's appeals through Mann Ki Baat addresses.
• The Aadhaar-based organ donation pledge registration portal notto.abdm.gov.in made pledge registration more accessible, secure and transparent.

Prelims pointers

• Indian Railways approved Kavach on 631 route kilometres of East Coast Railway.
• The approved project has a cost of ₹270 crore.
• The project covers six sections including Baghuapal-Budhapank, Haridaspur-Paradeep and Khurda Road-Balangir.
• Kavach is India’s indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system.
• Kavach is designed to prevent signal passing at danger, over-speeding and train collisions.

Prelims pointers

• Dr Jitendra Singh launched the IAS e-Civil List 2026 at Kartavya Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The e-IAS Civil List 2026 is the 71st edition of the Civil List.
• It is the sixth edition to be released as an e-book in PDF format.
• The publication includes details such as IAS officers’ batch, cadre, present posting, pay level, educational qualifications and date of superannuation.
• As on 1 January 2026, 5,755 IAS officers were in position against an authorised cadre strength of 7,026 across 25 cadres.

Prelims pointers

• The consultation was organised by the Ministry of Tourism in New Delhi under Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• Industry bodies including FAITH, ASSOCHAM, PHDCCI, WTTCII, CII and FICCI participated.
• The Ministry highlighted delinking licences from its classification of hospitality units.
• The Tourism Secretary proposed shifting hotel classification from inspection-based assessment to self-declaration-based assessment.
• Stakeholders discussed an Entity Locker concept for the tourism and hospitality sector.

Prelims pointers

• India ranked first globally in ship recycling in 2025.
• India’s share of global ship recycling rose to 35.4% in 2025 from 30.1% in 2024, according to UNCTAD.
• Ship recycling in India increased to 2.99 million gross tons in 2025 from 1.86 million gross tons in 2024.
• India enacted the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019, aligned with the Hong Kong International Convention, which India ratified in 2019.
• The government provided ₹53.5 crore to help 115 ship recycling facilities become Hong Kong Convention-compliant.

Prelims pointers

• Four cargo ships carrying urea, Di-Ammonium Phosphate and sulphur successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
• The vessels were headed toward Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep and Mundra ports.
• India's cumulative fertilizer stock position as of 22 June 2026 stood at 196.08 lakh tons, compared with 168.67 lakh tons last year.
• Total fertilizer sales from 1 March 2026 to 21 June 2026 reached 153.4 lakh tons, compared with 140.2 lakh tons in the same duration last year.
• India contracted 17.70 LMT of urea in its latest global tender and tied up more than 90 LMT of urea and P&K fertilizers for the ongoing kharif season.

Prelims pointers

• NHLML is a wholly owned company of the National Highways Authority of India.
• NHLML has directed field offices to advise Wayside Amenities lessees to prioritise vehicle repair shops and puncture repair facilities.
• The initiative is aimed at improving highway travel experience, reducing vehicle downtime and enhancing road safety.
• NHLML is developing modern Wayside Amenities on a long-term lease basis under the PPP model.
• Vehicle Repair Shops and Puncture Repair Facilities are approved permissible facilities under the existing WSA contractual framework.

Prelims pointers

• The Aadhaar App recorded over 31 million downloads less than five months after launch.
• Almost 4 million people updated their mobile numbers using the new Aadhaar App.
• Around 850000 people used the app to update their address.
• The app provides features such as biometric lock or unlock, face verification, authentication history and a QR-based editable contact card.
• The app is available on both Android and Apple iOS platforms.

Prelims pointers

• Haj Policy 2027 was announced by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• Applications can be made through the Haj Committee of India portal and the Haj Suvidha App.
• The expected quota distribution remains 70:30 between the Haj Committee of India and the private sector.
• The State Haj Inspector ratio is being improved from one inspector per 150 pilgrims to one per 135 pilgrims.
• The Short Haj Package is being retained with Kolkata added as an embarkation point.

Prelims pointers

• Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar laid the foundation stone of the new CISF Force Headquarters at CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
• He inaugurated and dedicated CISF infrastructure projects worth Rs 136.03 crore.
• The new CISF Headquarters is being constructed by CPWD at an estimated cost of Rs 75.78 crore as a nine-storey building.
• Completed projects included the Subordinate Officers' Mess and Advanced Training Building at NISA Hyderabad and Subordinate Officers' Quarters at the 4th Reserve Battalion in Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu.
• CISF has been designated as the nodal agency for protection of critical infrastructure against rogue drone threats.

Prelims pointers

• The June 2026 RBI Bulletin said the global economic landscape remained fragile despite respite from the interim U.S.-Iran peace agreement.
• RBI officials warned that a breakdown of the agreement could affect inflation expectations, energy infrastructure, investment, food security and growth.
• India was described as entering the turbulence with stronger fundamentals such as high growth, anchored inflation expectations and foreign exchange buffers.
• CPI headline inflation rose sequentially to 3.9% year-on-year in May 2026 from 3.5% in the preceding month.
• WPI inflation rose to 9.7% in May 2026, while fuel and power group inflation increased further to 30.3%.