1. Centre Blocks Telegram Ahead of NEET-UG 2026 Re-Examination
Why in News?
The Government of India temporarily blocked the Telegram messaging app across the country until 22 June 2026 to prevent organised cheating rackets from exploiting the platform ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for 21 June.
Key Points
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered the blocking using Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, describing it as a "calibrated and timebound" measure.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) found organised groups using Telegram to sell fake NEET question papers and defraud candidates; the message-editing feature has also been disabled in India until 30 June to stop fabrication of fake "paper leak" evidence.
Telegram's app listing was removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store; telecom operators restricted access nationwide.
Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the ban as disproportionate, citing impact on over 150 million Indian users; the matter was heard by a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, coordinated with Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan police to remove fraudulent Telegram channels and bots.
Massive security measures are in place for the re-exam, including IAF transport aircraft and helicopters used in mock drills to move question papers, and quarantining of paper-setters without internet or phone access.
This is the first instance of a large-scale messaging platform being blocked in India specifically for examination integrity.
Static Knowledge
NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test–Undergraduate) is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other undergraduate medical courses.
Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 empowers the Central Government to block public access to online content/platforms in the interest of sovereignty, security, public order, etc.
I4C functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs to combat cybercrime at the national level.
PM Narendra Modi will disburse around ₹2,400 crore in incentives under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) at a special programme at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 19 June 2026.
Key Points
PM-VBRY, an Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, has an outlay of ₹99,446 crore and aims to incentivise creation of more than 3.5 crore jobs between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027.
The scheme has already supported the creation of around 15 lakh employment opportunities; of the targeted beneficiaries, around 1.92 crore are expected to be first-time entrants into the formal workforce.
Part A (first-time employees): EPFO-registered first-time employees get incentives up to ₹15,000 in two instalments (one month's EPF wage).
Part B (employers): Employers generating additional employment receive incentives up to ₹3,000 per month per additional employee, with extended benefit periods for the manufacturing sector.
The scheme aims to formalise employment, enhance employability, and widen social security coverage across sectors.
Static Knowledge
PM-VBRY was announced by PM Modi during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort in 2025 and rolled out from 1 August 2025.
It falls under the Ministry of Labour and Employment and uses the EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) framework for verification and disbursal.
It succeeds earlier schemes like the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY), launched in October 2020 post-COVID.
3. 52nd G7 Summit, Évian-les-Bains, France
Why in News?
The 52nd G7 Summit was held from 15–17 June 2026 at Évian-les-Bains, France, under the French Presidency; PM Modi attended as an invited partner and held key bilateral meetings.
Key Points
G7 core members: Canada, France (host), Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US, and the European Union; invited outreach countries included India, Brazil, Kenya, South Korea, and Syria.
This marked PM Modi's seventh consecutive G7 participation and India's repeated role as a key Global South voice.
The summit's agenda covered the West Asia crisis following the US-Iran peace framework, the Ukraine conflict, AI governance, balanced economic growth, and securing critical mineral supply chains independent of China.
PM Modi held bilateral meetings with UK PM Keir Starmer (reviewing the India-UK Vision 2035 roadmap and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), Canadian PM Mark Carney, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (reviewing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership); he also invited the UAE President to the upcoming BRICS Summit to be hosted by India.
India and France emphasised collaborative, inclusive AI development ahead of the summit; PM Modi stressed that AI must be democratised, especially for the Global South.
Static Knowledge
G7 (Group of Seven) is an informal grouping of major industrialised economies; it does not have a permanent secretariat and presidency rotates annually.
Évian-les-Bains previously hosted the 29th G8 Summit in 2003.
India holds the BRICS Presidency in 2026, alongside France's G7 Presidency.
4. ₹30,000 Crore MALE Drone Procurement for Indian Air Force
Why in News?
Ten Indian defence firms submitted bids by 16 June 2026 for a ₹30,000 crore project to supply 87 Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) drones to the Indian Air Force, marking one of India's largest indigenous UAV procurements.
Key Points
Participating companies include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited, Adani Defence Systems, Tata Advanced Systems, Larsen & Toubro, and Raphe mPhibr Ltd.
The project was cleared under the Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP).
The procurement may be split between two successful bidders to create dual production lines, reducing supply-chain risk and enabling rapid wartime scaling.
This aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence vision and follows India's broader push, including a separate $2 billion-plus tactical drone procurement drive flagged by the Drone Federation of India.
Separately, Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (Bharat Forge) and Paramount unveiled the indigenous Simha 4×4 modular armoured vehicle at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris on 16 June.
Static Knowledge
MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) UAVs are used for extended surveillance and strike missions; examples include the US MQ-9B Predator drones acquired by India.
The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 governs categories like "Buy Indian-IDDM" (over 50% indigenous content) and "Buy Indian" (over 60% indigenous content).
HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) is India's premier aerospace and defence PSU, headquartered in Bengaluru.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) released a 12-year review (2014–2026) highlighting landmark bridge projects that have transformed India's connectivity and strategic infrastructure.
Key Points
Dhola–Sadiya Bridge (Bhupen Hazarika Setu), Assam–Arunachal Pradesh: 9.15 km, India's longest river bridge at the time of opening; spans the Lohit River (a Brahmaputra tributary); carries 60-tonne military loads (Arjun MBT, T-72 tanks), giving it major dual-use strategic value for the Eastern Command.
Ganga Bridge, Bihar (Aunta–Simaria, NH-31): 1.8 km, India's widest extradosed bridge with a 34-metre deck; inaugurated August 2025; built parallel to the ageing Rajendra Setu.
Chambal Bridge, Kota (Rajasthan): India's first 6-lane single-plane cable-stayed bridge (2017); includes a 300-metre pier-free, cable-suspended stretch to protect the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary.
Narmada Bridge, Bharuch (Gujarat): Extradosed design on NH-8 (Ahmedabad–Mumbai corridor), opened March 2017.
New Saraighat Bridge, Guwahati: 1.49 km, eases congestion on the East–West Corridor (NH-27) serving all eight northeastern states.
India's total National Highway network now exceeds 1,46,570 km, including 16,788 km in hill states.
Static Knowledge
Extradosed bridges are a hybrid of cable-stayed and prestressed box-girder designs, suited to medium-to-long spans.
The National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary protects the gharial, red-crowned roof turtle, and Gangetic river dolphin.
MoRTH is the nodal ministry for National Highway development in India.
6. Parliamentary Standing Committee's 381st Report on Higher Education
Why in News?
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports tabled its 381st Report, an Action Taken Report reviewing the government's response to its 364th Report on Demands for Grants 2025–26 for the Department of Higher Education.
Key Points
Of 102 recommendations, 18 were marked "not accepted" by the Committee as evasive or boilerplate government replies — the most exam-relevant category.
Department of Higher Education allocation for FY 2026–27 stands at ₹55,727 crore (11.28% increase), though India's spending on education remains at 4.12% of GDP, short of the NEP 2020 target of 6%.
PM-Vidyalaxmi (launched November 2024) offers collateral-free loans up to ₹10 lakh with 3% interest subvention, but only for students in "Quality HEIs" (QHEIs) — an equity gap flagged by the Committee.
Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL) cover has remained frozen at ₹7.5 lakh since 2015; the Committee demands it be raised to ₹20 lakh.
Only 12 of 20 proposed Institutions of Eminence have been notified, eight years after the scheme's launch.
HEFA (Higher Education Financing Agency), a Section-8 NBFC, has seen 78% of borrowing institutions' revenue sourced from student fees, according to an NIPFP review.
AISHE (Annual Survey of Higher Education) reports for 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 remain unpublished.
Static Knowledge
Education is in the Concurrent List (Entry 25, List III, Seventh Schedule), allowing both Parliament and state legislatures to legislate.
Article 15(5), inserted by the 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2005, enables reservation in private unaided educational institutions.
Parliamentary Standing Committees scrutinise budgets and policy and issue Action Taken Reports (ATRs) categorised as Accepted, Not Pursued, Not Accepted, and Awaited.
7. RBI Monetary Policy: Repo Rate Held at 5.25%
Why in News?
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), in its recent bi-monthly review, kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% and retained a neutral policy stance amid risks from the prolonged West Asia crisis.
Key Points
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra cited geopolitical risk from West Asia tensions as a key factor behind the cautious stance.
The MPC also revised India's GDP growth forecast amid global uncertainty.
The neutral stance signals flexibility to adjust rates in either direction depending on incoming inflation and growth data.
The next MPC meeting (per the bi-monthly cycle) is scheduled in line with RBI's published calendar for the financial year 2026–27.
Static Knowledge
The MPC is a six-member panel that meets at least four times a year to decide the policy repo rate, aiming to keep inflation within the RBI's mandated target band.
RBI's inflation target range is 4% (+/- 2%), as mandated under the amended RBI Act, 1934.
Sanjay Malhotra is the current Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
8. State of India's Environment 2026 Report
Why in News?
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), along with Down To Earth magazine, released the "State of India's Environment 2026" report, highlighting breaches in planetary boundaries and rising extreme weather impacts.
Key Points
The report finds that 7 of 9 planetary boundaries have been breached, with ocean acidification emerging as the newly crossed seventh boundary.
Extreme weather events occurred on 99% of days in 2025 (up from 88% in 2024), causing over 4,400 reported deaths and affecting 17.41 million hectares of crops.
Solid and hazardous waste management emerged as the largest cross-state challenge, with 15 states/UTs failing to clear the halfway mark on the environment index.
27 states scored below the halfway mark on the Agriculture and Land theme, driven by poor farmer income stability and welfare metrics.
32 of 36 states/UTs fell below the halfway mark on Public Infrastructure and Human Development, reflecting gaps in housing, rural power, and road connectivity.
Static Knowledge
The Planetary Boundaries framework was developed in 2009 by the Stockholm Resilience Centre under Johan Rockström, defining nine safe operating limits for human survival.
CSE (Centre for Science and Environment) is a Delhi-based research and advocacy non-profit, publishing the State of India's Environment report annually since 1982.
The Germanwatch Climate Risk Index 2026 ranks India 9th among countries most affected by extreme weather events (1995–2024).
9. India vs Afghanistan Bilateral Cricket Series
Why in News?
India and Afghanistan are contesting a multi-format bilateral series in India (6–20 June 2026), with the 2nd ODI being played in Lucknow.
Key Points
The series comprises one Test and three ODIs; India, led by Shubman Gill, won the solitary Test in New Chandigarh by an innings and 300 runs.
India won the 1st ODI in Dharamsala by 7 wickets.
The 3rd ODI is scheduled in Chennai on 20 June 2026, after which India tours Ireland for a white-ball series.
Static Knowledge
The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) administers Indian cricket; Shubman Gill currently captains the Test and ODI sides.
Afghanistan Cricket Board became a Full Member of the ICC in 2017.
Prelims Practice MCQs
The temporary blocking of the Telegram app in India ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination was carried out under which provision?
The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) is administered under which ministry?
Consider the following statements about the 52nd G7 Summit, 2026: 1. It was hosted by France at Évian-les-Bains. 2. India attended as a core G7 member. 3. The summit discussed the West Asia crisis and Ukraine conflict. Which of the statements are correct?
The Bhupen Hazarika Setu, India's longest river bridge at the time of its opening, spans which river?
The 300-metre pier-free, cable-suspended stretch of the Chambal Bridge at Kota was specifically designed to protect which protected area?
As per the current RBI Monetary Policy Committee decision, the repo rate stands at what level?
The "State of India's Environment 2026" report is published annually by which organisation?
How many of the nine planetary boundaries have been breached according to the State of India's Environment 2026 report?
The Germanwatch Climate Risk Index 2026 ranks India at which position among the most climate-affected countries (1995–2024)?
Under which Constitutional provision can reservations be provided in private unaided educational institutions in India?
The PM-Vidyalaxmi education loan scheme provides collateral-free loans up to what amount, with interest subvention restricted to students in which category of institutions?
The MALE drone procurement of 87 units worth ₹30,000 crore for the Indian Air Force was cleared under which category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure?
Education, as a subject, falls under which list of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
Which Indian company, along with Paramount, unveiled the indigenous Simha 4×4 armoured vehicle at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris?
Who chairs the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports that tabled the 381st Report?