Current Affairs 19 June 2026

National Affairs

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Launches Green Hydrogen Certification Portal
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Pralhad Joshi launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI Portal) during a national workshop in New Delhi to enhance transparency in the green hydrogen sector.

• Overview: A unified digital platform developed by MNRE to administer the GHCI scheme, enabling measurement, reporting, verification, and regulatory compliance. It becomes operational on July 1, 2026.
• Eligibility: Certification is mandatory for any producer receiving incentives or subsidies, selling or using Green Hydrogen in India, obtaining exemptions, or exporting partial quantities.

NCRPB Approves Plans to Develop Four ‘Namo’ Cities in Delhi-NCR
The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), chaired by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, approved the development of four greenfield cities—one each in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

• The Branding: Branded as “Namo Cities” (in line with the RRTS Namo Bharat trains), they will be developed under the Regional Plan 2041 to promote balanced regional growth.
• Cost & Selection: The cities will be developed at an estimated cost of ₹5,000 crore over the next 5 years. States will submit three proposals each, and the final cities will be chosen via a challenge mode.
• Zonal Division: The NCRPB also decided to officially divide the NCR into three zones, including a core zone between the KGP and KMP expressways.

Jeh Aerospace & Solestra Group Sign Agreement for Global Manufacturing Centre
Jeh Aerospace Private Limited and US-based Solestra Group signed a multi-million-dollar agreement to establish a dedicated Global Manufacturing Centre (GMC) at Jeh Aerospace’s facility in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• Objective: The center aims to boost aerospace manufacturing capacity, support New Product Introduction (NPI), and strengthen global supply-chain resilience.
• Operations: The facility will manufacture high-precision components for aero-engine and aircraft system applications while ensuring strict intellectual property protection.
• Benefits: Combines Jeh Aerospace’s aerostructure expertise with Solestra Group’s high-precision mechanical systems.

International Affairs

Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s Official Visit to France in June 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a 6-day official visit to France focusing on strategic cooperation, technological partnerships, and global issues, marking his first bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron since India-France ties were elevated to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership.”

• The Itinerary: PM Modi visited Nice, participated in the 52nd G-7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, and concluded his trip in Paris to attend the VivaTech 2026 Technology Summit.
• Bharat Innovates 2026: PM Modi and President Macron inaugurated the first-ever Bharat Innovates event at the Palais des Expositions de Nice.
• Key Outcomes: The visit yielded 13 key outcomes, including the adoption of the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030, the establishment of a Joint Working Group on AI Governance, the expansion of UPI in France, and an agreement to double bilateral trade over the next 5 years.

QS World University Rankings 2027: IIT Delhi Tops India, MIT Retains Global Top Spot
London-based higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released the QS World University Rankings 2027, evaluating over 1,500 universities globally, including 52 Indian institutions.

• Indian Leaders: IIT Delhi ranked 118th globally (up 5 places), emerging as India’s highest-ranked institution for the second consecutive year. It was followed by IIT Bombay (134th), IIT Madras (170th), IIT Kharagpur (205th), and IISc Bangalore (221st).
• Global Leaders: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained the #1 spot with a perfect score of 100. Imperial College London and Stanford University tied for 2nd place.

Bengaluru Ranks 15th Among Global Startup Ecosystems in GSER 2026
Startup Genome released the 14th edition of the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2026, ranking Bengaluru 15th among the top 40 global startup ecosystems.

• AI Dominance: Bengaluru also emerged as the second-best AI-native cluster in the entire Asian continent, trailing only behind Beijing, China.
• Global Leaders: Silicon Valley (USA), New York City (USA), and London (UK) retained their top three positions globally, holding steady with no change in rankings.

Banking & Finance

NSE Indices Adds 11 New Sectoral Indices, Reaching a Total of 34
NSE Indices Limited expanded its portfolio by introducing 11 new sector-specific indices, increasing its total count to 34 and covering a much broader swath of the traditional and fast-growing economy.

• The New Indices: Nifty Power, Nifty Capital Goods, Nifty Telecommunications, Nifty Construction, Nifty Consumer Services, Nifty Commercial & Transport Services, Nifty Retail, Nifty Hospitals, Nifty NBFC, Nifty Housing Finance, and Nifty Insurance.

RBI Eases Capital Norms for Banks Under ECLGS 5.0
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) amended its Prudential Norms on Capital Adequacy, immediately relaxing the capital requirements for banks on loans backed by the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS 5.0).

• Revised Risk-Weights: 75% of the guaranteed portion will now attract a zero-risk weight. The remaining 25% exposure will continue to attract a 20% risk weight.
• Condition for 0% Risk-Weight: To qualify for the 0% risk weight, banks are strictly required to settle claims within 30 days from the date of invocation.

National Industry Platform ‘ARIFAC’ Launched to Strengthen AML/CFT Framework
India’s financial sector launched the Alliance of Reporting Entities in AML/CFT (ARIFAC) to fortify the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) ecosystem amid rising cyber fraud.

• Governance: The secretariat is managed by the Payments Council of India (PCI) and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC), with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) participating as an observer.
• Membership Base: Includes PMLA-regulated entities like banks, NBFCs, payment system operators, insurance companies, and Virtual Digital Asset (VDA) providers.
• Key Focus: Transaction monitoring, Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR), sanctions screening, and detecting mule accounts.

Economy & Business

Essar Group & IRH Sign $500 Million Crude Oil & Product Sourcing Agreement
India’s Essar Group and Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding (IRH) executed a massive $500 million structured sourcing facility agreement between Essar Energy Transition Fuels and IRH Global Trading.

• Strategic Objectives: To optimize the global supply chain, diversify crude sourcing channels, improve working capital efficiency, and bolster feedstock security against price fluctuations.
• About IRH: A mine-to-market investment platform focused on critical energy transition minerals. Its subsidiary serves as a global energy trading and liquidity provider.

Appointments & Resignations

DFS Appoints Hitesh Rameshchandra Joshi as CMD of GIC Re
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) approved the appointment of Hitesh Rameshchandra Joshi as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re), India’s national reinsurer.

• The Tenure: Effective from June 16, 2026, his term extends until September 30, 2028. He succeeds Narayanan Ramaswamy.
• Experience: Brings over three decades of experience in the sector. Prior to serving as interim CMD since October 2025, he was the Executive Director of GIC Re, overseeing international operations, IT, and actuarial services.

State News

Ladakh LG Approves Constitution of ‘SHAN’ Conservation Society
Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the constitution of the first-of-its-kind “Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature” (SHAN) Conservation Society to safeguard the endangered big cat.

• Objective: To act as a multi-stakeholder platform managing biodiversity, protecting fragile cold desert ecosystems, and promoting eco-tourism in snow leopard habitats.
• Significance: Essential for protecting the Snow Leopard (Ladakh's State Animal). According to a 2024 assessment, India hosts 718 snow leopards, with 477 of them residing in Ladakh.

Gujarat Government Signs ₹1 Lakh Crore Funding Pact with HUDCO
The Government of Gujarat signed an MoU with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) for long-term financing of up to ₹1 lakh crore to turbocharge infrastructure development.

• Objective: To fund high-impact projects including the Ahmedabad Metro Rail (Phases 2 and 3), expressways, sports infrastructure, and the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR).
• Other Agreements: Gujarat also signed an MoU with IIM-Ahmedabad to secure strategic support for projects under the Viksit Gujarat 2047 framework.

Obituary

Padma Shri Awardee & Renowned Buddhist Scholar Robert A.F. Thurman Passes Away
Robert Alexander Farrar Thurman, an acclaimed American scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, translator, and Padma Shri awardee, passed away in New York at the age of 84.

• Contributions: Authored over 20 books (including Inner Revolution) and translated the Vimalakirti Sutra. He was notably the first American ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
• Association with Tibet: A lifelong friend of the 14th Dalai Lama, Thurman co-founded Tibet House US in 1986 to preserve Tibetan culture. He received the Padma Shri in 2020 for his unparalleled contributions to literature and Buddhist thought.

Important Days at a Glance

Current Affairs 19 June 2026 Oneliner Question Answer

1. Which Union Minister launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI)?
Answer: Pralhad Joshi.

2. From which date will the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal (GHCI) become operational?
Answer: 1 July 2026.

3. How many 'Namo Cities' will be developed in the Delhi-NCR region?
Answer: Four.

4. Which two companies signed an agreement to establish a Global Manufacturing Centre in Hyderabad?
Answer: Jeh Aerospace and Solestra Group.

5. Which country did Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit during his Europe tour in June 2026?
Answer: France.

6. Which Indian institute ranked highest among Indian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027?
Answer: IIT Delhi.

7. Which city ranked 15th in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2026?
Answer: Bengaluru.

8. How many new sectoral indices were launched by NSE Indices in June 2026?
Answer: 11.

9. Which platform was launched to strengthen India's Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) framework?
Answer: Alliance of Reporting Entities in AML/CFT (ARIFAC).

10. Which two companies signed a USD 500 million crude oil sourcing facility agreement?
Answer: Essar Group and International Resources Holding (IRH).

11. Who was appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of GIC Re?
Answer: Hitesh Rameshchandra Joshi.

12. Which renowned Buddhist scholar and Padma Shri awardee passed away in June 2026?
Answer: Robert A. F. Thurman.

13. World Crocodile Day is observed every year on which date?
Answer: 17 June.

14. What is the theme of World Crocodile Day 2026?
Answer: “Legacy in Every Scale.”

15. International Day for Countering Hate Speech is observed annually on which date?
Answer: 18 June.

16. What is the theme of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech 2026?
Answer: “Hate Speech and Artificial Intelligence.”

17. Sustainable Gastronomy Day is celebrated every year on which date?
Answer: 18 June.

18. Which conservation society was constituted in Ladakh to protect snow leopards and high-altitude ecosystems?
Answer: Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature (SHAN) Conservation Society.

19. Which state signed a ₹1 lakh crore funding MoU with HUDCO for infrastructure development?
Answer: Gujarat.

20. What is the total value of the funding pact signed between the Gujarat Government and HUDCO?
Answer: ₹1 lakh crore.